Why an odd width?
An odd width gives the pattern a single center column. Symmetric motifs such as diamonds, hearts and letters center on it; with an even width there are two middle columns and the motif sits half a bead off.
How the rows change
In even-count peyote every row has the same number of beads. In odd-count peyote the rows alternate one bead more, one bead less: at a width of 9, one row has 5 beads and the next has 4. You still string the first two rows together; see how to read a peyote pattern for the start.
At the end of the longer row, after adding its last bead, there is no up-bead for the thread to come out of into the new row. That edge needs a special turn every other row; the other edge turns as in even-count peyote.
Two ways to turn
- Figure-eight turn: after the last bead, weave the thread through the edge beads in a figure eight and come out of the first bead of the new row. It gives a very neat edge but is hard to follow in the first rows.
- Thread-loop turn: after the last bead, pass the needle under the thread between the two edge beads below and back through the bead you just added. Faster and easier to learn; the loop can show slightly at the edge.
Odd-count peyote in BeadDot
Open an odd-width pattern in the peyote pattern maker and draw without working out the offset columns yourself. For ready patterns see the peyote bracelet patterns; follow mode shows the beads of each row one by one.