If you have any anxiety about tryingcross-needle weave, my caterpillar chainis a great way to master the technique.Cross-needle weaving is similar to tyingoverhand knots, and if you think of itthat way, you can relax and enjoy therhythm of the stitch.

Caterpillar chain is a three-sided ver-sion of cross-needle weave. It works upquickly, and the finished pieces can beas casual or as dressy as you like. Byconnecting the chain’s ends, you canmake circular beads (I call them “torus”beads) and bracelets. Once you getfamiliar with the technique, experimentwith other bead shapes, sizes, and colorsto see how they change the chain’s look. You can also go from my three-sided version to chains with four sidesor more.

stepbystepEach row of cross-needle weavebecomes one side of the caterpillarchain. When you reach the end of onerow, rotate your piece so you work eachrow in the same direction. To sew thelast row to the first, work back and forthbetween sides to complete the pattern.Turn a chain into a circular bead orbracelet by weaving the ends together.

Thread 2 needles on a yd. (.9m) of

PowerPro and position them about 7 in.(18cm) from each end. String one MCbead and center it on the thread.

Pick up an AC and MC bead withone needle (leaving the MC bead on theneedle). Use the other needle to pick up an AC bead and cross through theMC bead. Pull the needles in oppositedirections to slide the beads toward thecenter of the thread (figure 1). Avoidpiercing the thread when crossing insidea bead.

Repeat step 2 until you have made12 crosses.

To turn, pick up an AC, MC, andAC bead using the left-hand needle(leaving the last bead on the needle).Use the right-hand needle to crossthrough that bead (figure 2). Tightenthe thread. The needles are now exitinga side bead. Turn the piece so you canwork up the side of the previous row.

With the right-hand needle (or inthis case, the lower needle), pick up anMC, AC, and MC bead (leaving the lastbead on the needle). Use the other nee-dle to cross through that last bead, asbefore (figure 3). Tighten the thread.The needles are now exiting the topbead of the first pattern in row 2.

To continue row 2, pick up an ACand MC bead on the right-hand needle.With the left-hand needle go through

the side AC bead in row 1. Cross theneedles through the last bead picked upon the right-hand side (figure 4).

Repeat step 6 until you’re one pat-tern from the end.

To turn, take the left-hand needlethrough the side AC bead in row 1, asbefore, and pick up an MC and ACbead. Cross the needles through the lastbead picked up (figure 5). Turn thepiece again.

Now, connect the rows into a chain.Using the right-hand (lower) needle,pick up an MC bead and go through theside AC bead from the first row. Pick upanother MC bead and cross the otherneedle through it (figure 6).

Take the left-hand needle throughthe side AC bead from the first row andthe right-hand needle through the sideAC bead from the second row. Pick upan MC bead on either needle and crossthe other through it. Repeat until youreach the end of the chain.

To finish the sample as a straightchain, secure the threads in the bead-work. To turn this chain into a torusbead, stitch the ends together asdescribed below.

Pick up an AC bead on the left-handneedle, go through the MC bead on thefinished end of the same row, and pickup an AC bead. Cross through this AC

Caterpillar chainLearn a 3-dimensional variation of cross-needle weave

by Chris Prussing

bead with the other needle (figure 7).When you tighten the thread, the chainwill pull into a circle.

Go through the next MC bead to thelower right with your right-hand needle.Go through the next MC bead on theupper left with your left-hand needleand pick up an AC bead. Cross throughthis AC bead with the other needle as in figure 7, but this time don’t add anew bead.

To complete the circle, take the left-hand needle clockwise through the MC,AC, and MC beads that form a diamondshape where the two chain ends meet.Knot the two threads (figure 8). Takeeach needle back through 2 beads andmake another knot on the other side ofthe diamond. Glue the knots and workthe tails into the beadwork.

Embellishing the basic chainOnce you’re comfortable with the basictechnique for making caterpillar chainsand torus beads, you’ll find that theyoffer plenty of opportunity for embel-lishment. For the center bead on theprevious page, I used leaf beads in placeof 60 beads when I connected the sidesof the chain (see steps 9 and10, above).You can try any small novelty bead inplace of the leaves.

Stringing smaller seed beads alongwith the 60s and 80s will add color andtexture to your work. Again, follow thebasic design, but pick up a small bead ortwo before and after a larger one as inthe bead at right.

A third approach is to add accentbeads after the chain or torus bead iscomplete. Secure a new thread in thebeadwork, pick up a bead, and gothrough an existing bead. I added tworows of size 80 green beads to the sam-ple at left after finishing the basic bead. w

Chris can be contacted via her website,www.rightangleweave.com.

materials• Seed beads, size 60 main colors (MC) and

accent colors (AC)• Leaf or other novelty beads• PowerPro 10# test • Beading needles, #12

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