How to Bead a St. Petersburg Chain
Beading a St. Petersburg chain takes a bit of concentration at first, but the repetition required to create the design allows for a quick learning process. The St. Petersburg chain is a strong design that you can use to make straps for handbags, jewelry and other accessories. Once you get the feel for the pattern, you can work the stitch quickly. It’s a good idea for beginners to use two different colors of seed beads while learning the technique, but advanced bead weavers may prefer a single color design.
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Things You'll Need
- Waxed beading thread
- Beading needle
- Size 8 seed bead, 1
- Size 11 seed beads, 2 colors
Instructions
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1
Thread the beading needle with 24 to 30 inches of waxed beading thread. Pull the thread tail through the eye of the needle at least 8 inches.
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2
String on a size 8 seed bead to within 6 inches of the end of the working thread. Hold the 6 inch tail of the working thread, bring the needle around and up through the size 8 seed bead. Pull the thread taut. Circle the bead with the working thread twice more. This process is called tying on a bead. The bead acts as a stopper for the other beads in your design.
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3
Thread 2 size 11 seed beads of your first color, hereafter referred to as color A. Then thread one size 11 bead of the second color, hereafter referred to as color B. Follow this with two more color A beads. All the beads should rest against the bead tied on in step one.
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4
Bring the needle back around and insert it through the first two A beads. Skip the B bead and continue to insert the needle through the last two A beads. Pull the thread taut to create a square shape of A beads with a B bead picot at the end.
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5
Thread four A beads. Bring the needle around and back through the first two beads you added in this step, making another small square. Pull the thread taut so that this square rests against the other beads in the pattern.
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6
Thread one B bead to rest against the new square. Skip the B bead and thread the needle back through the first two beads in the last square, plus the A bead which these two rest against. Pull the thread taut.
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7
Thread one B bead to rest against the beadwork. Insert the needle through the two A beads that are off to the side. These are the third and fourth A beads that you added in Step 5. Pull the thread taut.
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8
Repeat Steps 5 through 7 to make the St. Petersburg chain as long as you like.
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References
Resources
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