Now Free: the Diagonal Stripes Bracelet

DIAGONAL STRIPES BRACELET

copyright 2006 Deborah Roberti

The Diagonal Stripes Bracelet pattern is fully illustrated with detailed step-by-step instructions for an easy, single-needle, right-angle weave (worked diagonally) band. I used 6mm bicone crystals but you could just as easily use 6mm fire-polished beads or any 6mm bead. For a smaller, daintier bracelet or necklace, use 4mm bicone crystals and 3mm fire-polished beads. It's a very versatile pattern.

MATERIALS (for a 7-inch bracelet, not including clasp)
• 3 yards Waxed Nymo or C-Lon thread, size D, or 6 lb. FireLine
• About 200 size 11/0 seed beads
• About 15 size 6mm blue bicone crystals
• About 15 size 6mm green bicone crystals
• About 15 size 6mm purple bicone crystals
• About 40 size 4mm black fire-polished beads
• clasp



Step 1: Thread your needle with 3 yards Nymo, C-Lon or Fireline. 

String a blue crystal, a seed bead, a fire-polished bead, a seed bead, a blue crystal, a seed bead, a fire-polished bead and a seed bead.

Leaving an 14- to 16-inch tail for attaching the clasp, tie the beads in a circle with a double knot:



Step 2: Go back around through the blue crystal, the seed bead, the fire-polished bead, the seed bead and the blue crystal that you added in the last step (highlighted in RED):
 


Step 3: String a seed bead, a fire-polished bead, a seed bead, a blue crystal, a seed bead, a fire-polished bead and a seed bead. Go around and back across through the blue crystal that you exited at the end of the last step (highlighted in RED):



Step 4: Go back around through the seed bead, the fire-polished bead, the seed bead, the blue crystal, the seed bead and the fire-polished bead that you added in the last step (highlighted in RED):



Step 5: String a seed bead, a green crystal, a seed bead, a fire-polished bead, a seed bead, a green crystal and a seed bead. Go around and back up though the fire-polished bead that you exited at the end the last step (highlighted in RED):



Step 6: Go back around through the seed bead, the green crystal, the seed bead, the fire-polished bead, the seed bead and the green crystal that you added in the last step (highlighted in RED):



Step 7: String a seed bead, a fire-polished bead, a seed bead, a green crystal, a seed bead, a fire-polished bead and a seed bead. Go around and back across through the green crystal that you exited at the end of the last step (highlighted in RED):



Step 8: Go back around through the beads highlighted in RED:



Step 9: String a seed bead, a purple crystal, a seed bead, a fire-polished bead, a seed bead, a purple crystal and a seed bead. Go around and up through the fire-polished bead that you exited at the end of the last step (highlighted in RED):



Step 10: Go back around through the beads highlighted in RED:



Step 11: String a seed bead, a fire-polished bead, a seed bead, a purple crystal, a seed bead, a fire-polished bead and a seed bead. Go around and back across through the purple crystal that you exited at the end of the last step (highlighted in RED):



Step 12: Go back around through the seed bead, the fire-polished bead, the seed bead, the purple crystal, the seed bead and the fire-polished bead that you added in the last step (highlighted in RED):



Step 13: Repeat Steps 9 through 12—alternating between blue, green and purple crystals—until your bracelet is the length you want it, minus about an inch and the length of your clasp.

Step 14: To attach the clasp to one end of your bracelet, string a seed bead, a crystal (whatever color is next in your alternation), a seed bead, a fire-polished bead, a seed bead, another crystal and a seed bead. Go around and back up through the fire-polished bead that you exited at the beginning of this step (highlighted in RED):



Step 15: Go back around through the seed bead, the crystal, the seed bead, the fire-polished bead and the seed bead highlighted in RED:



Step 16: String four seed beads. Go through the clasp and then back through the 4th seed bead that you just strung:



Step 17: String three more seed beads. Go back through the seed bead that you exited at the end of the last step (highlighted in RED), forming a circle of seed beads:



Step 18: To reinforce the area that connects to the clasp, go back around through the crystal, the seed bead, the fire-polished bead, the seed bead, the crystal, the seed bead, the fire-polished bead and exit out of the same seed bead you exited from at the beginning of this step (all beads highlighted in RED):



Step 19: Go back around through the circle of seed beads (highlighted in RED) and the clasp:



If you think you can get your needle and thread through this circle of seed beads and the clasp again, repeat this step.

Weave your way back into the bracelet, knot in several places and cut the thread.

Step 20: Flip the bracelet around so you can attach the other end of the clasp. Thread your needle with the tail thread from Step 1. Go through the seed bead and exit out of the fire-polished bead highlighted in RED:



Repeat Steps 14-19 to attach the other end of the clasp.