Learn Triangle Weave

I Can, I Did, I Don't

I was at the grocery store the other day and ran into Julie, a friend from high school. As we were catching up she mentioned how much she disliked nagging her kids into practicing the piano. I asked if she played the piano, too. She got this faraway look on her face and said, “I can.” She paused, looked at the floor, and said, “I did.” Then she looked me straight in the eye and said “I don’t!” I thought I was going to wet myself I was laughing so hard. Not only because those three phrases beautifully illustrate most people’s piano-playing trajectories, but also because it brought to mind the plethora of “I can/I did/I don’t” skills I have. The piano, of course . . . but also castanets . . . tap dancing . . . calligraphy . . . ironing . . . you get the gist.

There are a lot of those “I can/I did/I don’t” skills in my beading bag of tricks, too, which brings me to triangle weave. Ah . . . triangle weave! This beautiful stitch, which produces a series of triangular units instead of square ones, is one of those stitches that for some reason I forget to dust off and use. It’s a very versatile stitch that can be used to create straight, round, and 3-D beadwork. You can see the possibilities of working flat in projects like Meri Nash Aderhold’s pretty Sparklefest Bracelet. Or you can treat yourself to a full-on triangle weave sculptural challenge with Lori Stroner’s incredible Elizabethan Necklace.

Triangle Weave How-To

Even though “I don’t” much with this stitch, “I can,” and I think “I will” more often. Here’s how it’s done:

Row 1
Unit 1: String 3 beads and tie a knot to form a tight circle. Pass through the first 2 beads strung to clear the knot.

 
Unit 2: String 2 beads; pass through the last bead exited from Unit 1 and the first bead just strung. Pull tight. 

Units 3 to your desired length: String 2 beads; pass through the last bead exited and the first bead just strung. On the final unit, pass through both of the beads added to step up for the next row. 

Row 2
Unit 1: String 2 beads; pass through the last bead exited and the first bead just strung. 

Unit 2: String 2 beads; pass through the last bead exited, the 2 beads just added, and the bottom bead of the next Row 1 unit.  

Unit 3: String 1 bead, pass through the side bead of the previous unit, the adjacent Row 1 bottom bead, and the bead just strung. 

Units 4 to the end: Repeat Units 2 and 3 to the end of the row. 

 
Have you tried triangle weave before? Is it on your “I don’t” or “I do” list? What else is on your list? Please share on the website.

Jean Campbell writes about beading and life every Wednesday on Beading Daily. If you have comments or questions for Jean, please post them on the website.