Twisted Herringbone Rope Lariat With Leafy Fringe

Twisted Herringbone Rope LariatWith Leafy Fringe

This project combines three very simple beading techniques to create a stunning necklace inspired by nature. The tree-like fringe at either end of the rope offers plenty of movement and texture. This necklace requires many hours of beadweaving, and is not for the faint-hearted beader, but all of the hard work pays off with a gorgeous statement piece.

To make one lariat you will need:

96-100 grams of 11/0 seed beads for the base (brown)72-80 grams of 11/0 seed beads for the leaves (rainbow)80 yards (73 meters) of 6lb test Fireline thread

If you are more comfortable using nylon beading threads, you can substitute your favorite. You can use any combination of colors that you like for this project.

A single bead color is used for the rope section in the example project for clarity, but you can also create your own pattern within the beadwork for a more interesting design. We will also go over some basic steps for adding larger accent beads to the fringe section. The example project is stitched from right to left.

© 2011 The Sage’s Cupboard Tutorials

Herringbone Rope Side One

Create a Bead Ladder

1. Cut a comfortable length of Fireline, about 2 yards (1.8 meters) and thread a needle on one end. Pick up 4 base color beads, and center them on the thread.

2. Stitch up through the first two beads again, and pull snug. You should now have two pairs of beads stacked side-by-side.

3. Stitch down through the second pair of beads, and pull the thread snug.

4. Pick up 2 beads, and pass down through the second stack again. Each time you add a new pair of beads, you will be chasing your thread in this manner. Pull the thread snug, and the new beads should stack up next to the previous pair.

5. Stitch up through the two new beads again and pull tight. Pick up 2 beads, and pass back up through the last two beads added.

6. Continue adding beads 2 at a time, until you have a ladder that is 8 stacks wide.


7. To stitch the ladder into a ring, stitch up through the first two beads added. Gently pull the thread snug to bring the ends of the ladder together.

8. Stitch down through the last two beads added and pull snug to close the ring.

9. Secure the thread by weaving up and then down through a few more bead stacks, and exit from the opposite side as the tail thread.

While you are working on the first half of the lariat, you can wrap the tail thread around a bobbin or small piece of card to keep it from getting tangled. When you are ready to work with it again, unwrap the thread, and give it some time to unkink before you continue.

Work a Herringbone Tube

1. Pick up 2 base color beads, and stitch down through the top bead of the stack directly to the left of where your working thread is exiting. Pull the thread snug so that the two new beads are each sitting on top of a bead stack.

2. Stitch up through the top bead of the next stack to the left. Pull the thread snug, and make sure that the two beads added are properly placed.


3. Add 2 beads at a time with herringbone weave all around the ring. After you have added the fourth pair, step up by stitching through the top two beads of the next stack in the ring. Pull snug.

4. Pick up 2 beads and stitch down through the top bead of the next bead stack. Pull snug. Add three more herringbone stitches.

5. To begin the twist, you must step up through 3 beads at the end of the round, instead of just 2. Pull the thread snug, and check over the beadwork before you continue.

6. Add a new round of herringbone with 2 beads per stitch, and step up through 3 beads and the end of the round.

As you work, the rope will begin to twist slightly. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look obvious at first. The longer the rope becomes, the more obvious the twist will be.

Using different bead colors for one or more of the rows can also enhance the look of the herringbone twist.


If you try to step up and notice that there is already a thread in place, you’ve missed a bead in the previous step up. Gently remove the stitches until you can restart the round and step up through 3 beads.

7. When you have about 6 inches (15 cm) of working thread remaining, finish the round you are working on.

After you add the fourth pair of beads, do not step up, but continue stitching through at least 8 beads in the last stack. Pull the thread snug and remove the needle.

8. Cut a comfortable length of new thread, and add a needle. Slide a stop bead to the end, leaving a 6 inch tail.

Stitch up through the bead again and pull snug to lock it in place.

9. Stitch up through the top 4 beads of the bead stack to the right of your old thread - the second to last stack in the round.

Pull the thread so that the stop bead is snug against the beadwork.

10. Stitch down through the top two beads in the stack to the left - this mimics the final stitch so you can complete the step up. Pull the thread snug.

It is important to do this dummy stitch. If you have recently added a thread, and notice that a bead is missing from a round, this means that the new thread started from the wrong stack. Gently remove the stitches until you can restart at the correct place.

11. Stitch up through the top three beads of the next stack, and continue stitching normally.

Once you have added a few rounds of herringbone weave, you can secure the tail threads if you like. By setting aside each stop bead, you can keep track of how much thread you have used.


12. Continue working in twisted tubular herringbone until you have a rope that is about 20 inches (50 cm) long.

You will need about 1 yard (90 cm) of working thread to start the fringe. If you finish a thread and come up a bit short on the rope, you can wait until the fringe section to add any more rounds. If your working thread will be much less than 1 yard after adding the last few rounds, weave it in and save the excess, then start a new thread for the final few rounds and fringe.

Herringbone Rope Side Two

1. Thread a needle on the original tail thread, and work one row of herringbone weave off the other side of the ladder base, stepping up through 2 beads.

2. Add a second row of herringbone weave, and step up through 3 beads to begin the twist on this half.

3. To help keep track of your rope lengths, and easily find the center point for measurements, use a scrap of thread to tie a stop bead to the ladder base. Secure a bead to the thread, then stitch around one of the beads in the ladder to temporarily secure it on the beadwork.

4. Continue working in twisted herringbone weave until the second half of the rope is about 20 inches long. Finish or start a new thread as necessary so that you have at least 1 yard of working thread that is well secured within the beadwork.


5. Weave in any loose tail threads along the rope. Follow the natural thread path of the beadwork, and move back and forth along the rows.

To tie a knot, bring the needle under a base thread between two beads, and gently pull to form a loop with the working thread. Pass the needle through the loop, and gently pull to form a knot around the base thread.

Stitch through 3 or 4 beads, and gently snug up the thread to pull the knot into a bead. When the thread has been well secured, trim it as close to the beadwork as possible.

6. Check the length and fit of your rope. If it isn’t long enough to wrap comfortably around your neck at the current length, calculate how much more length you will need, and add rows to either end as needed.

Add the Fringe

1. Pick up the working thread on one end of the rope, add any additional rounds as needed to make the section the desired length or 20 inches, then work one row of herringbone stitches without picking up any beads.

This will secure the last round and add strength. Step up through 2 beads, to exit from the first bead stack in the round.


2. Pick up base color beads in multiples of three until you have a strand about 6 inches (15 cm) long.

Pick up 5 accent color beads. Slide them all down to the beadwork.

3. To create a leaf, pass through the fourth bead picked up, moving towards the main beadwork. Pull the thread snug to lock the top bead in place at the end of the strand.

If there is any slack thread in the stitch, try holding the last few beads snugly with your off hand, and pull the thread tight again until the strand is secure but not too tightly cinched.

4. Pick up 2 accent color seed beads, and stitch through the first bead picked up in Step 2, plus the next 3 base beads.

Pull snug, and when the 2 new beads click into place, a tiny leaf shape will form.

5. The rest of the strand is worked in freeform branch fringe, with leaves along each additional branch. You can add as few or as many leaves as you like.

Pick up 3 base beads for each leaf you want to add. You can also add a single leaf to the base here and there.

With 8 separate strands of fringe, you can work in a precise pattern and still get an organic looking necklace. Find a rhythm that works for you and see where it takes you.

For the example project, most of the fringe strands had a variation of this pattern after the base leaf:

2 leaf branch, 2 leaf branch, 2 leaf branch, 1 leaf, 3 leaf branch, repeat

You can change up your pattern occasionally, add longer branches, skip leaves, or even add secondary branches off of a basic one.


To create a basic 2 leaf branch:

a. Pick up 6 base color beads and 5 accent beads. Slide them down to the main strand.

b. Use the leaf stitch to add a base leaf to the branch, and pass through the next three base beads, moving back towards the main strand. Pull the thread snug.

c. Pick up 5 accent color seed beads, and complete another leaf stitch, passing through the first three base beads added to this branch, and the next 3 beads in the main strand. Pull snug.

Add a new leaf or branch to the main strand as desired.

To add an accent bead:

a. String base color beads for a branch in groups of 3, and string one accent bead and one seed bead.

b. Stitch back through the accent bead, and the next 3 base beads in the branch. Pull the thread snug to secure the new bead at the end of the branch. Continue adding leaves as desired.

If your accent beads have sharper edges - like crystals are glass pearls, add a second seed bead to the end, and pass through just the first seed bead and the accent bead to secure it. You can also cap accent beads with leaf stitches.

Graduated colors:

When working with more than one accent color, you can create a smooth graduation by adding longer branches at the transition point, and using both colors on a single branch. Start by adding one or two leaves in the old color - these will hang closer to the lower branches - and add the new color closer to the base of the branch. Make the following branch with all new color beads.


Adding new threads:

a. When you have about six inches of working thread remaining, complete a leaf or branch, and stitch into the beadwork, back towards the already completed branches. Pull snug.

b. Weave through the fringe, and tie a few knots along the base, between stitches. Continue through a few more beads and pull to hide the last knot.

Trim the thread as close to the beadwork as possible, being careful not to cut any of the branches.

c. Secure a stop bead to a comfortable length of thread, leaving a 6 inch tail. Enter the base strand 6 or 9 beads back from where you left off. Pull tight until the stop bead is snug against the beadwork.

Weave up to exit from the appropriate place, and continue stitching normally.

6. Finish the strand with a single leaf, and stitch up into the beadwork. Stitch across to the next bead stack, following the natural thread path if possible. Exit from the end of the rope.

7. Pick up base color beads in groups of three until you have a 5 to 6 inch strand - for a more organic looking fringe, vary the strand lengths.

8. Pick up 5 accent color beads and begin adding new leaves and branches.

9. When you have completed all 8 strands of fringe, weave your working thread into the herringbone rope, adding a few knots as you go. Trim the thread as close to the beadwork as possible.

10. Weave in any remaining tail threads within the fringe and trim.


11. Repeat from Step 1 for the other end of the rope and add fringe to each of the 8 rows. Weave in your threads and trim.

12. Remove the scrap thread and marker bead from the center of the rope. Weave in the thread from the second half of the herringbone rope, and you’re done!

Variations:

You can make the fringe as long or short as you like, but the more complex your branches are, the heavier the fringe will become. Accent beads will also add extra weight, unless they are of a light material such as wood.

For a slightly quicker project, you can work a tube with only six herringbone rows instead of eight. Make the rope longer and the fringe slightly shorter to save on stitching time. For super fast fringe, skip the leaves and make simple loops by doubling the strand length, and then stitching up through the first 2 beads added and back into the beadwork.


Thank you for choosing the Herringbone Tree Lariat tutorial from The Sage’s Cupboard! If you have any questions about these directions, you can contact me through my shops, or by email.

This tutorial and the designs featured here are for personal use only. You may make this project for yourself, as gifts for friends, and to practice bead weaving techniques.

Any designs recreated in whole or in part from this pattern - including color variations - may not be sold, donated or displayed for commercial intent. This includes photographs of designs that are used for promotional purposes.

You may upload and share photographs of pieces you make using this tutorial on personal blogs or websites only.

Written credit to The Sage’s Cupboard and/or Mortira Natasha vanPelt must be included in the description and/or accompanying text with any photograph of pieces made with or inspired by this tutorial.

Purchase of this tutorial in no way implies transfer of the copyright. You may not send, display or print this file for others’ use. The contents of this tutorial may not be sold, published, or distributed in any form.

Purchasing this tutorial does not grant rights to mass produce this design.

The design, text and images in this file are Copyright 2010/2011, The Sage’s Cupboard and Mortira Natasha vanPelt.

For questions, or to learn more about beading, you can find me here:

SagesCupboard.ArtFire.comsagescupboard.Etsy.comInspirationalBeading.blogspot.comsagescupboard@gmail.com

Happy Beading!

Mortira


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Twisted Herringbone Rope Lariat With Leafy Fringe

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