Combining natural stone and sterling silver gives this bracelet substance and style

designed by Stephanie Riger

Few materials lend rich texture to a piece of jewelry like gemstones and sterling silver. This bracelet, with its interior crochet stitches and seamless join, works up quickly, so you can make one in each of your favorite gemstones.

Gemstonesilver crochet bangle

beads accent a

The ends of this tube are sewn seamlessly to create a solid, slip-on bangle.

stepbystep[1] Thread a Big Eye needle on the spool of Tuff cord, and pick up eight 4mm round sterling silver beads, a 4.5mm silver accent bead, a 5mm gemstone bead, and a 4.5mm accent bead. Repeat until all the beads are used. Do not cut the cord. [2] Leaving a 10-in. (25cm) tail, slide a bead down to the crochet hook, and work a bead chain stitch (Basics). Repeat for the next four stitches (photo a).[3] To form a ring, connect the last stitch to the first by inserting the hook to the left of the first bead (photo b). Push the bead over to the right, slide a new bead down, and work a bead slip stitch (Basics and photo c). [4] Insert the scrap wire

through the center of the ring to help identify where your stitches will go (photo d). (I curled the end of my wire to prevent it from slipping out of the work.) Remove the wire after a few rows. [5] Continue to work in bead slip stitch, using medium ten-sion, until all the beads are used. Work one slip stitch without a bead, pull through a 6-in. (15cm) tail, and cut the rope from the spool.[6] Thread the tapestry needle on the 6-in. (15cm) tail, and sew into the center of the crochet rope 2 in. (5cm) from the end. Secure the tail by making half-hitch knots (Basics) between a few of the beads, and trim the tail close to the rope.[7] Thread the tapestry nee-dle on the 10-in. (25cm) tail. To position the tail, sew into

the thread loop next to the first bead added (photo e). [8] Hold the two ends together to align the pattern (photo f). Determine which bead on the last round matches the bead the thread is exiting on the first round. Sew through to the left of that bead, where you would insert the crochet hook if you were adding another bead slip stitch (photo g). Push that bead over to the right, and pull the end rows together. Sew through the thread loop next to the next bead on the first round, and pull (photo h). Repeat around until the ends are securely sewn together. Secure the tail as before, and trim. w

MATERIALSbangle 7 in. (18cm)• 24 5mm round gemstone beads• 48 4.5mm silver accent beads• 192 4mm round sterling silver beads• 4 in. (10cm) scrap wire• Tuff cord, size #2• Big Eye needle• tapestry needle• 10mm steel crochet hook

a b

c d e f

g h

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©2007 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.