Loom Knitting and Beading are two of my favorite hobbies…combine the two and I’m in heaven! Beading with looms is such a simple technique, yet results in beautifully intricate designs that are totally unique from one project to the next. I think this is why looming with beads is so enjoyable. Unique designs are at your fingertips with every loop of the loom!

Materials

Knitting Loom: Any loom or spool knitter with at least 2 pegs is suited to beading with looms.

Beading Base: You can use just about anything as a base for your beads…here are some good examples: Bead Stringing Wire: .018”, 28-32 Gauge Jewelry Wire, Elastic Beading Thread, Hemp, etc…

Notions: Assorted Beads, Clasps, Loom Tool, Scissors, Beading Needle, Pliers, Wire Cutters, Bead Crimps, Crimping Tool, Jewelers Cement/Super Glue and Ruler/Measuring Tape. (you can insert the essential tools pic if you’d like)

Let’s begin Beading with Looms!

To begin your new adventure, you will need to imagine what features you’d like your finished piece to have.

Would you like the beads to be free-form?

or symmetrically placed…(insert pic 3: symmetrical beads)

lots of woven wire

or none at all…

a natural look…

or a traditional jewelry piece…

Whatever you decide, the techniques you will employ are very similar from one style to the next; with just a few little, easy adjustments.

First, you will need to determine the length of your finished piece so measure around your wrist, neck, or ankle, allowing for some ease. Subtract one inch from this measurement to leave room for the clasp, and the stretchable nature of the knitted piece. If you have decided to use a rather large clasp, you may need to subtract a little more than an inch for a proper fit. This measurement will be the length you need to knit.

Next, you will select the beads to be used in your design. Based on your jewelry style selection, thread your beads onto the beading wire or thread of choice.

If you’d like a certain pattern, remember to thread these on in the order you wish them to appear in your final piece. If you’d like a random design, just thread anything on in any order that pleases you. If you are using a lot of very small beads, it may be a good idea to employ the use of a beading needle.

*If I am creating a random design, how many beads should I string?
A good rule of thumb is to thread enough beads to equal twice the amount of your knitted measurement. *Please Note: It is better to thread on more beads than you think you will use, as it’s always easier to remove extras, than it is to add more beads after the fact.

*If I want my design to be only seed beads, with no thread showing, how many beads should I string?
For the red sample created for this article, 10 inches of stringed beads were required for every knitted inch of I-Cord. For this style, you might find the Spin-N- Bead, Jr.® by Beadalon helpful. It makes threading so many small beads fairly quick & easy, compared to threading them all by hand.

To knit your beads, you will be using a simple 2 peg I-Cord:

1) Place a slip knot on peg one, making sure to leave a 4” tail. Wrap around peg two, and then wrap back around the first peg again, in a figure eight style wrap. Knit Off.

A. If you are randomly adding beads, slide a few at a time down onto the wraps of the pegs before knitting off.

B. If you are creating a pattern, slide the beads onto the wraps in the order you prefer, keeping track of how many rows you need to knit before adding your next group of beads, and repeating this procedure throughout the I-Cording.

C. If you are knitting with a string completely of seed beads, make sure you are pushing the beads up as you knit, so that none of the thread is showing.

2) The remaining stitches will be knitted in this same figure eight design, until you’ve reached your desired length.

A. You may find it easier to wrap and Knit Off one peg at a time, to help keep placed beads in position.


B. As you progress in your I-Cording, gently pull the lengthening cord behind the pegs, to straighten and snug in your knitted beads.


3) To end your I-Cording at the measurement you’ve decided on, move the loop that is attached to your working yarn/wire to the other peg. Knit Off. Trim beading wire to 4”, and wrap around remaining peg. Knit Off. Pull tail through stitch.

There are several ways to add the finishing touches to your lovely new piece of loom knit jewelry.

• If you’ve used elastic beading thread, a good square knot is in order. Add a touch of jewelers cement, or super glue, and slide the wet knot under the closest bead. Trim the ends close to the bead when the glue is dry.

• If you’ve chosen a more natural look with the use of hemp, or silk cord, you may wish to add a beaded closure. On one end, create a loop large enough for your chosen closure bead to fit through, knot in place, and thread the tail back up through the I-cord with the use of a tapestry needle. On the other end, slide the larger bead onto the tail, knot, leaving some space for the loop from the other end to sit, then thread end back through the I-Cord.

• If you’ve chosen jewelry wire, thread your clasp ends onto each side, and then secure by wrapping your wire several times around the base of the clasp. Thread the tails of the wire down inside some of the beads of your piece, and trim.

• If you’ve used bead stringing wire, you will need to follow the next steps to complete your piece:

o Slide a crimping bead/tube onto one end. Slide one side of the clasp on next. Thread your wire back through the crimp and through several beads of your I-Cord. Remove any slack.



o Leave a small space in between your clasp and crimp, so that your clasp can move without friction. Using your crimping tool, crimp your crimping bead/tube by squeezing it first inside the hole of your tool that looks like a heart.

o Turn your crimped tube/bead on its end, and squeeze it inside the other hole of your crimping tool to fold it in half.

o Test by gently tugging to make certain it is secure. If there is a little play, you may pinch it again, inside the very tip of the crimping tool that works like plain pliers, until your piece is completely secure.

o Trim extra wire tail close to last threaded bead and repeat the entire procedure on the other side of your piece.

Now you’re ready to wear your custom, loom knit beads in style!

 

About Designer: Bethany Dailey has loved crafting her entire life, but for the last 3 years, her passion has been loom knitting. She enjoys creating original loom knitting designs and sharing her interest with others through her local craft store, her city college, and her blog, Gettin' It Pegged~Loom Knitter's Clique. Bethany shares a home in Southwest Washington with her husband and 2 daughters. You can find out all about her latest projects, patterns, and her life in general at GettinItPegged.com. © 2008, Bethany Dailey Contact Bethany