The Downward Spiral

Much of the time, I pick up a color palette and just start beading, not really sure where I'm headed. however, I just finished a huge project for Maker's Mark and desperately needed to do something besides bead embroidery. So, I got out the magazines and books and looked around.

I came across my copy of Mastering Beadwork by Carol Huber Cypher and looked through it. There was my inspiration on page 60, what Carol called the "Undulating Peyote Tube." I've seen versions of this stitch before and always wanted to try it.

Tubular peyote is pretty easy if you've got a grasp of flat peyote. It's just like flat peyote except that it can become quite sculptural without changing much. I've done tubular peyote before for simple chains, adding teardrop fringe beads for a nice, slow spiral. But this piece includes 4 sizes of beads, 15/0, 11/0, 8/0 and 6/0 in 7 different colors. What I thought would be difficult came pretty easy, as long as I remember to always pick up a bead just like the one I just passed through before passing through the next bead. I'm still not sure how I'll end the piece, be it put it on another rope, decrease the ends, add a large clasp, etc., but it will become a large necklace. And when I say large, I mean it! This thing is 1.25" at its thickest and .75" at it's thinnest.