What is the name of this spiral?

Let me start off by saying that the only time I do seed beads is if it is VERY VERY VERY VERY EASY!

We had a peyote class that wasn't yesterday, so the instructor grabbed me. He told me to get a couple of colors of 11/0 or  8/0 beads, a needle and thread and "I'll teach you a new stitch" [Never mind that most stitches are "new" to me!] He learned it from a lady in one of his classes.

You start with 4 beads of the inside color and 3 of the outside ones. Take the thread back through the 4 inside ones and pull it tight - not enough to make a circle, just enough to make the 3 lie against the inside beads. * Pick up 1 of the inside color and 3 of the outside one. Go through the last 3 inside beads PLUS the new inside bead. Pull the thread tight and the 3 outside beads should lie against the previous 3 outside beads. Repeat from * to desired length.

Until I have the correct name for it, we're calling it "Gary's Spiral" (the instructor's name is Gary). I've even thought about having a challenge with this technique - it brings all kinds of ideas to mind.

It is SOOO EASY, even I can do it without having written instructions. I even taught another instructor, so it HAD to be easy - now we're all addicted to it!

Last night, I dug out some 11/0 black and orange beads and started on a bracelet for Halloween. I've only got about an inch left to finish it. WAY COOL! I'll try to get a picture of the finished bracelet this weekend - depending on how busy we are. I'll try to post it on the store's blog.

If ALL seed bead stuff was this easy, I would do a lot more of it! <LOL> Another one of my instructors is trying to teach me Phillipine weave - 4 needles and seed beads, NO WAY!! I can barely handle ONE needle!

Deb

 It's spiral rope Deb and it's my favorite thing with seed beads too!

I love that it's super simple but can change the look of it just by changing the size of the seed beads and the number you use.

You can try so many variations with it Deb using the same basic method.

I posted a couple of times, I'll try to find a pic for ya! Oops I deleted those spiral pics from Flickr that I had so they don't show on the forums anymore but I did pull a pic from google. http://beadwork.about.com/library/weekly/aa081201a.htm

I made one for Halloween too but I never got a pic, I used pewter colored seed beads for the core (inside beads) and I alternated black and orange for the spiral beads.

Have fun with it! I taught my daughters recently how to do it and even the younger twin with ADHD could do it. She usually can't focus on anything except the television long enough to stay interested and she loved it but she could watch TV at the same time, lol.

Cat - THAT'S IT! [Picture Lucy yelling the words at Charley Brown and bowling him over]

It is SOOO EEEAAASSSYYYY!!! I've got a jillion ideas - whether any of them get made up will be a different story, but it definitely gets the thinking cells working overtime!

If I never do anything else with seed beads, this will be one stitch that I'll remember.It's interesting that my main beadweaving instructor didn't know what it was and she knows most of them! I'll have to give her a hard time about it!

I'm sad that "Gary's Spiral" lost its name, though!

You made my weekend!

Happy Halloween - don't let the gobble-uns get you!

Deb

Yup, I knew exactly what you were talking about when you said 4 inside and 3 outside!

You can change those numbers though to just about anything you want and get different looks with it but it still works the same way. Try using different types of seed beads too or even bicone swarks.

This was the very first "weave" I learned sometime during the summer of 2008. I found instructions for it on Fusion Beads (one of the very few places I can understand directions printed) and I made a black and white one with the intentions of one of my daughters wearing it for the wedding since we had a black and white wedding. I still have that spiral rope (never added the other side of the clasp) sitting on my desk and now and then I'll pick it up just to look at it. Weird attachment to my first things I made I guess.

I am happy someone else shares my enthusiam about spiral rope- it's so simple but the possibilities are endless! ( I secretly felt like a dork about it ) LOL!

Happy Halloween to you too! Just got done cleaning the house back up from my daughter's birthday party ( She was a Halloween baby like me, well close enough!) Now I have to get ready for Halloween, love it!

Deb, here are a couple of examples of what Cat was saying. All three of these necklaces where made with this same basic spiral stitch.

I have another on where I used 4mm swarvoski crystals and 4mm rice pearls. It looks completely different. I would show you a picture but I don't seem to have one on my computer and the bracelet is at the store. I will take a picture tomorrow if I rememeber to take my camera to work with me tomorrow.

 Nice examples Sue and thanks for sharing those!
They are all great but I really like that first one- it looks so different with the way you used those beads! I love spiral rope :)

 Too funny...that was the class I taught on Thursday.... Simple Spiral or that's what I      know it by.  I use it a lot.   I used a double strand on my Beadwork Challenge piece.  This white one is done with 4mm pearls as the core and silver 15s with 3mm fire polished on the outside.

It's a fun and versatile stitch....my class had quite a few variations going on.

 I love this stitch, it is very versatile indeed. You can make 2, or even 3 spirals. What I also like to do: when you finished your piece, take a new thread and thread it through all the centered beads of the spiral parts (not the core). This makes the spiral more obvious...

It's a great stitch for beadsoup as well!!

 Kimmie do you mean just the center bead of the spiral or all the spiral beads? Just wondering cause this seems interesting.

 Just the centerbead of the spiral, but it does decrease the length of your finished piece. You can also put a seedbead between every centerspiralbead, this would broaden the spiral... Just play with it, it's fun!

Deb, that was one I learned in the first class I took -- 6 years ago (?)  When I completed it, DW said 2 sentences to me -- What are you going to do with that?  I want it !  She snatched it out of my hand as she said the second sentence.

I may do another one, somedaaayy . . .

 These are so neat! Are they really that easy? (I struggle with printed directions and really need someone to walk me through it) Hey, anyone down here? I'll buy the coffee????? 

cb

I use a printed copy of the "Blue & White Spiral " Instructions that is on Beadwork.com.  I include the printed copy with the links for "A to Z" Free patterns.

(along with the Beading Daily website info:)

Step by step pictures on how to make it.

CourtneyB:

 These are so neat! Are they really that easy? (I struggle with printed directions and really need someone to walk me through it) Hey, anyone down here? I'll buy the coffee????? 

 

cb

 Yes they are that easy Courtney! These are the instructions I learned from http://www.fusionbeads.com/beadingfaq/techniques.php?bfid=29

I really liked the printed directions along with the great photos. I was able to follow it and I have trouble following the written directions for beadweaving too. I wasn't able to figure out peyote until I found Leslie's video where it was an interactive drawing the pattern.

You just keep following the pattern after your first spiral. The first one is the only one that's different since there you add 4 core beads and the rest you only add one as you go.

 Oh Cat - you have such faith! :)  I will download and give it a try.  I just get so frustrated and can't ask anyone!!!  grrrrrr.

thanks

cb