FASCINATING BEAD WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1935, Page 4 (Supplement)

FASCINATING BEAD WORK.

HOW TO MAKE A DIAMOND MAT

ARTICLE 11. Having made the more simple square mat featured in our beadcraft notes of lust week, the diainondshaped mat shown in our illustration should prove quite simple. For this mat, which, incidentally, is ideal for use under an oval or oblong dish, tlie beads used were us follows: — 140 blown, 140 royal blue, 50 dee]) yellow and 500 pale yellow. (In the directions for working, these last are described as cream and not pale yellow, to avoid confusion with deep yellow.) This mat illustrates the next step in the formation of roller bead mats, as the lines are of varying length, instead, as in the first, mat, of the eame length. The best plan is to start work at the centre line, or

somewhere near tlie cejitre, work out to one end, take up the work at the beginning again and work out to the other end. Follow the directions line by line as given here: — Rows 1 and 2: Take, a brown bead cm each needle. Pass both needles through a yellow. Take up 2 more brown and pass the needles through a cream. Take up 2 cream, and pass the needles through a cream. Take up 1 black and 1 cream, pass both needles through a black. Take up 1 royal blue and 1 black, and pase the needless through a royal blue. Take up 1 brown and 1 yellow, pass both needles through a brown. This is half a line. Finish the rest of the line by working the foregoing directions backwards. Let the last two beads taken up be 2 brown ones. Row 3: Pass one needle down through the opposite brown bead, and continue as follows: The pairs of N beads in the first two rows may have become twisted, but the necessary bead to pick up is fully pointed out. One brown, pass through the brown of the previous row. Take up 2 cream, 1 black. Here be sure to pass the needle through the black

and not through the cream bead. One blue, pass through the blue bead of the previous row. One blue, pass through the brown of the last row. One yellow, pass through the blue of the previous row. One blue, pass through the black of the previous row. Take tip 2 cream, 1 brown. Continue the mat according to the directions for fig. i>, using the following- colours: — Row 4: 3 cream, 1 black, 1 blue, 1 yelldw, 2 brown, 1 yellow, 1 blue, 1 black, 3 cream. This is the centre line of the mat. Row 5: 1 brown, 2 cream, 1 black, 1 blue, 1 yellow. 1 blue, 1 yellow, 1 blue, 1 black, 2 cream, 1 brown. Row G: 2 brown, 2 cream, 1 black, 1 blue, 2 brown, 1 blue, 1 black, 2 cream, 2 brown.

Bow 7: 2 brown, 3 cream, 1 black, 2 yellow, 1 black, 3 creain, 2 brown. Row S: 1 brown, 4 cream, 1 blue, 1 yellow, 1 blue, 4 cream, 1 brown. Row 9: At this row the decreasing starts, and all further work is continued on this one needle, the other being left to take up the second half of the work when this half is completed. Instead of taking the needle up through the last brown bead of the previous row, catch up the thread of that row in between the yellow and brown bead, and pass the needle down through the last bead of row S, ready for the start of row 9. In future this operation will be described as "catch pass." Row 9: 1 blue, 3 cream, 1 black, 2 yellow, 1 black, 3 cream, 1 blue. Pass through the blue of the last row. Row 10: 2 blue, 3 cream, 3 blue, 3 cream, 2 blue. Catch pass. Row 11: 1 yellow, 3 cream.. 1 black, 2 blue, 1 black, 3 cream, 1 yellow. Pass through the blue of the last row. Row 12: 2 blue, 3 cream, 1 blue, 1 black, 1 blue, 3 cream, 2 blue. Catch pass.

Row 13: 1 blue, I! cream, 4 black, 3 cream, 1 blue. Catch pass. Row 14: 1 brown, -t cream, 1 black, 1 cream, 1 black, ."5 cream, 1 brown. Pass through the blue of the previous row. Row 15: 2 brown. 2 cream, 1 black, 2 cream, 1 black, 2 cream, 2 brown. Catch pass. Row 10:" 1 9 cream,, 1 yellow. Row 17: 2 brown, 8 cream, 2 brown. Catch pass. Row 18: 1 brown, 9 cream, 1 brown. Catch pass. Row 19: 1 blue, S cream, 1 blue. Row 20: 2 blue, 7 cream, 2 blue. Catch pass. Row 21: 1 yellow, S cream, 1 yellow. Row 22: 2 blue, 7 cream, 2 blue. Catch pass. It ran now be plainly seen without further detailed instruction how the work proceeds, getting narrower as each "flower" is finished.

When, for tlie second lime, only 2 cream beads are taken up in the centre portion, tlie next row worked shonkl haVe a brown bead in the centre of it to start the last brown flower. Finish off neatly. Pass the needle that was dropped near tlie centre of the work in and out of the beads in the opposite direction in order to start the other half of the mat.