I've looked at countless instructions for peyote stitch, but I get lost. I end up not making a straight line but rather going diagonal! What am I doing wrong??

How many lines do you say become diagonal? Usually the first few lines do look to be diagonal but further completion of rows straightens this out. I hope this is the case for you. Just don't give up!

Erin

I struggled mighily with this stitch for nearly a year before I got the hang of it. Then I found a tute at www.bellaonline. It made everything just fall into place for whatever part of the brain/eye/hand coordiation that I needed help with. It's the bracelet that you put the clasp on one end, string the beads, put the clasp on the other end and then do the stitch. I don't know why it worked for me when so many other tutes just confused me, but it did and now I love peyote. Hope it works for you, too. Good luck and don't give up.

QUOTE: Originally posted by AletaG I've looked at countless instructions for peyote stitch, but I get lost. I end up not making a straight line but rather going diagonal! What am I doing wrong??

Maybe this tut will help you, Aleta:

http://www.suzannecooper.com/classroom/start-rows/start-rows.html

It seems pretty straightforward, though, I haven't tried it, yet. Good luck!

elly

I find that alot of beginners start out using any old seed beads they have lying around, or go and buy the cheapest ones they can get.
If you are trying to learn peyote stitch with round (or bagel-shaped) seed beads, its very difficult to get it to go right.
Start with the Delicas, esp the large size 8 delicas if you can get them. The yhave straight sides, and don't move once you sew them where they belong!
Guaranteed the beads will stay in place. Once you "get" the stitch, go back and use your seed beads.
Cathy

I learned using 3mm cubes. They line up just like a little brick wall!

Thank you for all of your responses.

Sube3ds315 ~ I looked at the link for bellaonline, but it didn't give me the page?

I haven't given up hope yet, but yes, it's definitely after the first couple of lines where it looks like it's going diagonal and won't straighten up. That's when I stop and get frustrated.

I am soooo sorry!! I gave you the wrong link. I looked at so many tutes for peyote, I forgot what one was where. The tute that gave me my "ah-ha" I've got it moment is at http://www.beadingtimes.com/project1204.htm. I think this was easy for me because you start by putting the clasp on, string the beads and put the rest of the clasp on. It gives it some weight so the beads aren't going every which way. Again, I'm sorry for the wrong link. Hope this helpsyou as much as it did me. Edited to add: BTW, the bracelet only calls for 2 rows, but I did several rows on it, just to practice. I redid a few because of the diagonal problem-which turned out to be me having the thread to tight, so maybe if you keep an eye on your tenson, your diagonal problem wll go away.

The link from Subeeds will work if you copy it and delete the "period" at the end...just fyi (you'll get a "File not found" if you try to link as is).

elly

When you say it looks "diagonal" do you mean that one end slopes like you are building a pyramid?

If this is the case, it might be because you are forgetting to add the last bead in an odd count line--odd number of beads in the row. The end bead has to be sort of "figure eighted" in to attach it to the row because it projects over the line of beads underneath it. This usually happens when you start line three.

I'm sorry if this sounds confusing and isn't helping. Are you working from a diagram? I learn best from looking at a good picture.
Carol Wilcox Wells published the greaest tutorial book I have ever found. Superb, clear diagrams. It's called, Creative Bead Weaving.
I bought it. But you can probably get it at a library.

Hi Aleta,
I hope this'll help:
http://www.suzannecooper.com/classroom/flat/flat_class.html
This is the most often recommended set of peyote insructions I've seen posted here.[:)]

Peyote Stitch is the first stitch i learned, and it was by accident!
So don't feel bad, because it is taking me forever to even comprehend the spiral Peyote stitch, I have purchased several excellent books, and have found them to be extremely helpful.. If you have any change to spend, I have found these to be an invaluable resource!


Here are some links so you know what they look like and what to type..(books like this can usually be found fairly cheap on Ebay!

http://www.amazon.com/Peyote-Stitch-Editors-Button-Magazine/dp/0871162180


http://www.save-on-crafts.com/pestbepr1.html

A lot of really nice beading patterns.

http://www.a1books.com/cgi-bin/mktSearch?act=showDesc&code=gbase&rel=1&ITEM_CODE=1402712715

this is a different book, one of my major resources before I joined here, and I still use it a lot! It seems to me that this is an invaluable resource book!

http://www.amazon.com/Beaders-Reference-Jane-Davis/dp/0873495543

Bead4me