Why a peyote chart looks offset
In peyote, every new bead settles into the gap between two beads of the previous row. Neighboring columns therefore sit half a bead apart, and the beadwork looks like a brick wall turned on its side. The chart shows exactly that: one column starts higher, the next half a bead lower.
How to count rows
In peyote a row is one pass of the needle from one edge to the other. That pass adds a bead to every other column only, so the beads of a row sit level with a one-bead gap between them. The next row fills those gaps half a bead lower, and two rows together form a zigzag strip.
- Count rows diagonally along the edge: stepping from a column to the bead half a bead lower in the next column takes you to the next row.
- Every bead stacked in a column stands for two rows, so you can count the beads in a column and double it.
- A row holds half the pattern width: in a pattern 10 beads wide, each row is 5 beads.
The first two rows
This is how you start an even-count peyote pattern, one with an even width:
- Add a stop bead, leaving a 15–20 cm (6–8 in) tail, so the first rows cannot slide off.
- String every bead of the top zigzag in the chart from left to right. Together they are rows 1 and 2.
- For row 3, pick up a bead, skip the last bead you strung and pass through the one before it. As you pull the thread, the beads start to lock together.
- Continue to the end of the row: pick up a bead, skip a bead, go through the next.
- From row 4 on, pass only through the beads that stick out from the previous row.
Up-beads and down-beads
After each row you will see that along the edge one bead sticks out and the next one sits lower. The ones sticking out are called up-beads; in the next row you pass your needle through these only, and the new beads settle on top of the lower ones.
If you lose your place in the chart, count the up-beads in your work: that is exactly how many beads the next row takes.
Even-count and odd-count peyote
If the pattern width is even you stitch even-count peyote: every row has the same number of beads and turning at the end of a row is easy. If the width is odd you stitch odd-count peyote: rows alternate between one bead more and one bead less, and one edge needs a special turn to bring the thread into the next row.
- Figure-eight turn: after the last bead of the row, weave the thread through the edge beads in a figure eight and come out at the start of the new row.
- Edge loop: pass the thread under the thread between the two edge rows and back through the bead you just added.
Following the chart row by row
On long bracelet patterns the most common mistake is losing track of the row you are on. On a paper chart you can tick off finished rows or cover the rest with a ruler.
BeadDot’s follow mode does this for you: it shows the current row and bead with a visual guide and saves your place as you go, so you can pick up where you left off on your phone or computer.