Beads Making The Design in Thread Crochet

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY

Incorporating beads - actually Crocheting them in - is one of the ways I add some Color and Sparkle or Light to some of my Thread Crochet.

In a few cases - like this one I am working on now -- and one I did several years ago -- crocheting beads in the center part of the Thread Crochet, as well as in the Crochet Stitches to add sparkle, is part of actually making the Design in the piece.

Above is a closeup of the current piece I am working on (a Work-In-Progress) - yes, there is a design formed by different stitches - and some open stitches and tight closer stitches - but the Green Beads on the Garnet Red Thread stand out as the main design.

With the stitches - open lace areas and more solid tightly stitched areas -- and the Green Beads actually in spaces inside the stitches - you get the "picture" of a Red "Flower" with Red and Green "Leaves" around it -- of course, when you see the final piece with more Green Beads around the edge -- some actually in the shape of leaves -- the whole idea comes together (finished full piece soon to come).

This pattern - which is a type of Beaded Crochet - came from a magazine I have (no specific designer named) -- but it has given me some ideas for some other pieces to do with Beads.

Having had a few inquiries and requests about Beaded Crochet pieces, I will be spending a bit more time making some now - using them both on the edges and in the pieces as part of the design.

Here are Photos of a piece I made several years ago and Sold - both a Closeup and a Full Photo.  It has darker Navy Blue Beads crocheted into the design in the Pure White Thread Doily - as well as more Beads on the edge. 

I think overall that contrasting colored Beads inside a crocheted piece create a nice more Graphic and somewhat Textured effect.  

I do try to leave the very center flat, without Beads, though, because even though I consider this Crochet Art or Fiber Art --- many people, if they use such a piece on a Table, will want to be able to put Vases or Bowls or Figurines on them!

This is different from the way I have usually put Beads on my Thread Crochet - as I discussed in this blog post from December 2009:  "Adding SPARKLE with GLASS BEADS" !