aspen choker tutorial

Micro-Macramé by Annika deGroot Aspen Choker

Copyright 2009 Annika deGroot. These instructions are intended for the private use of individuals only and may not be reproduced or used for commercial purposes without the express written permission of the author, Annika deGroot, who can be contacted at [email protected]. Teachers will be granted permission upon request as long as this written tutorial is not altered in any way.

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This Victorian-inspired cabochon choker can be made up of the leftover crystals and beads from your previous jewelry endeavors. It features a variety of varied micro-macramé components, which, when held up to the light, look like roundels of stained glass lace.

This choker is an intermediate/advanced project. If you are unfamiliar with any of the knots or techniques featured in this tutorial, I suggest you purchase my book “Micro-Macramé: 30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords,” published in the U.S. by St. Martin’s Press.

Please read through the instructions before making a final decision on your supply list; you may already have enough beads in your stash to complete this choker, and it will give you a better idea of what you’ll need to accomplish this project.

Supply List

14 to 16 6mm Swarovski crystals of colors of your choice OR a combination of beads approx. 6mm in size – make sure you have 2 of each

Lots of 3mm and 4mm fire polished beads or Swarovski crystals, your choice of colors

2 tube size 8 beads in analogous colors (such as blue and green, or teal and blue)

2 tubes size 11 beads in analogous colors (such as cobalt and emerald)

Optional: 2 tubes size 6 beads in analogous colors (such as teal and emerald)

18x25mm domed semi-precious stone, paua shell or fused glass cabochon

Small piece of ultrasuede

Nymo thread and beading needle

E6000 Glue

Scissors



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12 120inch lengths of size 3 Euro Tool Tuff Cord or size 3 Stringth in the color of your choice

Padded clipboard or macramé board

Straight Pins

Sewing needle and thread

1 5/8” Button

You can certainly go out and buy the beads you need if you don’t have leftovers, but this is a mix and match project made up of those extra beads from previous projects. For the large beads that will become the centerpieces of the roundels, make sure you have two of each. Try not to use anything larger than 6mm for the central beads; if you use large beads, the sections of beads flanking the central focus beads will become too big and heavy.

First things first: play with the color composition. Sort your beads into segments that feature one central bead (approx. 6mm in size) surrounded by a semi-circle of 4mm or 3mm crystals, size 6 seed beads or glass beads that are smaller than the focus beads in the center, but large enough to make an impact colorwise. Be sure to use an assortment of beads and colors.

This is one possible combination; make sure you have enough beads to create both sides of the choker.

Gluing the cabochon. Once you have established a plan of action for the sequence of colors in your choker, set this aside and glue the semi-precious stone cabochon to the 2 inch square of ultra suede. The semi-precious stone cabochon used in this project is Azurite, which serves as the inspiration for the palette of blue and green bead colors.



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Couching the cabochon. After the glue has dried, couch a line of blue size 11 seed beads all the way around the outer edge of the cabochon. Thread about a yard of Nymo onto a beading needle and anchor the thread to the back of the ultra suede. Sew through the ultrasuede bringing the needle up right next to the cabochon. Add 6 beads to the needle and bring it back down through the ultrasuede. Backstitch by 3 beads and thread your needle through the 3 beads, stringing another 3 beads onto the needle before passing it back down through the ultrasuede. Continue adding beads this way until you have sewn beads all the way around the cabochon.

When you have completed the line of couched seed beads, you’ll add a layer of beads on top of it. Do this by adding one bead on top of every other bead.

This will displace every other bead down somewhat causing the first layer of beads to zigzag up and down slightly.



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Now add another row of beads, sewing them in between the little pockets left between the second row of beads. When you have completed that row, your cabochon should look like this:

You can stop beading after this row and cut the cabochon away from the square of ultrasuede backing, but make sure not to cut into any of the stitches you’ve sewn into the ultrasuede.



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Or you can continue to add two more layers of beads to the cabochon (after you’ve cut away the excess ultrasuede)

The beading should be flexible enough that you can tamp it down around the cabochon, molding it to the cabochon’s shape. Smoosh away!

Now turn the beaded cabochon over and lay it on a piece of paper towel or waxed paper. Take the 12 pieces of 120 inch long cord and find their half points (60 inches in from either side). Lay them over the backside of the cabochon and glue them in place.

Cut another oval of ultrasuede and glue it over the back of the cabochon, covering the cords and glue.



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Roll up one of the side lengths of cords and clamp it with the clip on the padded clipboard, if you are working with a padded clipboard. After that, anchor the cabochon into the padded clipboard with long straight pins. This really helps secure the cabochon as you are working knots. I cannot stress this enough, particularly when you are knotting double half hitch knots. Throughout the following pictures you’ll see plenty of pins used to stabilize the knotting. Another trick is to scotch tape cords you aren’t using out of the way so they don’t interfere with your work.

Begin knotting. Starting from the left hand side, and using the leftmost cord as the filler cord, knot a row of double half hitch knots all the way across the other cords.

Counting from the left, with the first cord on the left being Cord 1, place a size 11 seed bead on Cord 2, place 2 seed beads on Cord 4, 1 size 6 seed bead on cords 6 and 7, 2 size 11 seed beads on Cord 9 and 1 seed bead on Cord 11.



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Tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots starting from the left and angling the knots down towards the right, ending after Cord 6.

Starting with Cord 12 on the right hand side, tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots, ending after Cord 7.



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Creating the Roundel. Separate the cords hanging down from the cabochon into three equal segments of 4 cords.

String a 6mm bead onto the two centermost cords. String enough size 11 seed beads on the cords adjacent to the centermost cords to surround the 6mm bead; in this example it took 9 seed beads to surround the central bead; with other 6mm beads it will take fewer seed beads as you will see in the roundels featured later in this tutorial.



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Tie a flat knot using the two central cords and the cords adjacent to them. Remember: a flat knot is square knot that is formed around the two centermost cords, encompassing them.

On the leftmost cord, string two size 11 seed beads. On the two cords next to it, string either a 4mm, 3mm, size 6 seed bead or other fancy bead of approximately that size.



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Create a flat knot underneath the size 6 seed bead using the two cords adjacent to the cords the size 6 seed bead is on.

Continue adding flat knots encasing seed beads until you have created enough of them to form a semi-circle on one side of the central bead.



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Now do the same for the right side:

Take cords 3 and 4 and cords 5 and 6 and create a flat knot, using Cords 3 and 6 to tie the flat knot around Cords 4 and 5. This will cause the left band of seed beaded knots to arch around the central bead.

Take Cords 7, 8, 9 and 10 and tie a flat knot with them using Cords 7 and 10 as the outer cords.



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Separate the cords hanging down into three equal sections of 4 cords each.

String either a 4mm, 3mm or size 6 bead onto the two innermost cords.

Using the cords adjacent to the two innermost cords, tie a flat knot.



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Now tie a flat knot on either side of this central flat knot, using the four cords on the left for the first flat knot, and the four cords on the right for the second flat knot.

We’re now going to create a V shaped pattern made up of flat knots. As you’ll see, the row of knots you finished equals three knots; under it you will tie two knots, then under that row, one single knot in the middle. So the sequence of knots looks like this:

knot bead knot

knot knot

knot

To continue:



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Take Cords 3, 4, 5 and 6 and tie a flat knot with them. Then take cords 7, 8, 9 and 10 and tie a flat knot with them. Don’t worry about Cords 1 and 2 and 11 and 12, just let them hang down.

Tie a flat knot using Cords 5, 6, 7 and 8.

The next step is to encase these flat knots with a row of diagonal double half hitch knots.

Starting from the left side, tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots that slant down towards the right, ending after Cord 6. Then tie a series of diagonal double half hitch knots starting from the right side and ending after Cord 7.



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Optional detail: you can leave the next step out if you choose.

Add one more line of diagonal double half hitch knots after this first row by stringing a size 11 seed bead on Cords 1, 3, 5. Add a size 8 seed bead to Cords 6 and 7 – if the size 8 seed bead is too small to get the two cords through, use a size 6 seed bead. Then string a seed bead on Cords 8, 10 and 12.

From the left side, tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots ending after Cord 6. Then, from the right side, tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots ending after Cord 7.



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Congratulations! You have completed one roundel! All of the roundels that follow in this tutorial are variations on this theme: a central bead segment flanked by beading segments made up of smaller beads. The only portion of the following roundels that will remain the same in each variation is the V shaped flat knotting sequence below the central bead.

Let’s look at Variation #1: Pear shaped crystal surrounded by 4mm fire-polished crystals



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See how Variation #1 has only 3 size 4mm beads flanking the central pear-shaped bead section?

Each roundel’s outer flanking bead sections is determined by the size of the beads used; you will probably need three 4mm beads on either side of a central section, but if you use 3mm beads, you might need 4 per side section.

Now let’s move on to Variation #2.

Variation # 2 – Elongated glass beads flanking a 6mm Swarovski Bicone.



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You’ll notice that the seed beads enclosing the 6mm Swarovski Bicone bead will naturally split into two sections of 4 beads each.

Now let’s move on to Variation # 3: Alternating colors of seed beads surrounding the 6mm round Swarovski Crystal and alternating the sizes of side-flanking beads

Here we will use two different sizes of beads to create the arching flank of beads surrounding the central bead section. Also note that both green and blue seed beads surrounding the central bead are used to vary the color.



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You now have 4 variations of the roundel . You will need to create another three or four roundels depending on the length of the choker and how loosely you knotted on the previous four roundels.

My challenge to you is to create your own variations for the remained of this choker! If this is too much for you to handle, simple repeat the four variations you’ve been given above.



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Also remember, there are another seven or eight roundels to create on the other side of the cabochon; if you are like me, you’ll want to duplicate what you have knotted on this side to match.

When you have finished knotting the seventh roundel on this side, measure your neck and divide that measurement by two; if seven roundels isn’t long enough for one half of your choker, which should be around 7 1/2 inches, or 19cms in length, knot an eighth roundel. After that, you are ready to create the Button Bed to finish off this side of the choker.

The Button Bed is a section of alternating flat knots that will makes up for the button to be sewn on the end of this side of the choker.

Creating the Button Bed. Tie the left hand side segment of beads to the central section by using Cords 3, 4, 5 and 6 to create a flat knot. Then tie the right hand segment of beads to the central section by using Cords 7, 8, 9 and 10 to create a flat knot. Take the four central cords and string a 4mm bead onto the innermost cords. Use their adjacent cords to tie a flat knot under the 4mm bead. Tie a flat knot on either side of the 4mm beads, using Cords 1 through 4 for the first flat knot and Cords 9 through 12 for the second flat knot.

Now you’ll tie two flat knots under these three flat knots.

The knotting sequence of the alternating flat knots will look like this:

knot bead knot

knot knot

knot knot knot

knot knot

knot knot knot

knot knot

and so forth for approximately one inch, ending with a row of two knots across.



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After you have achieved an inch of alternating flat knots, tie one flat knot with the centermost four cords.

Now tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots from the left side, then tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots from the right side.

To unite the two sides of diagonal double half hitch knots at the bottom of the V shape, tie Cord 6 over Cord 7 in a double half hitch knot.



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Now tie another row of diagonal double half hitch knots on the left and right sides. This is to secure the end of the choker.

Voila! You are finished with this side!

But I have another challenge for you:

Can you figure out how I created the following edge?



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Here is the sequence of steps; notice that I left off the outer two cords on either side when I started the diagonal double half hitch knots.

Once you have finished the Button Bed, it is now time to work the other side of the choker. When you have completed the (or

Creating a Buttonhole. Separate the twelve strands of cord into three equal sections. Just as you have done before, tie the left bead section to the central bead section in a flat knot using Cords 3, 4 ,5 and 6. Then tie the right section to the central section in a flat knot using Cords 7, 8, 9 and 10. In the center underneath these two flat knots, tie one central flat knot with the four central cords.

) roundel, you will need to create a Buttonhole.



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Now separate the cords into two sections, six cords on the left and six cords on the right. Tie a flat knot using Cord 1 and 6 as the outer cords, enclosing cords 2 through 5. Then tie a flat knot using Cords 7 and 12, enclosing Cords 8 through 11.

String a size 11 seed bead onto Cord 1 and tie a flat knot, using Cords 1 and 6 to enclose Cords 2 through 5. Continue stringing single seed beads onto Cord 1 and tying flat knots for 5 more rows (for a total of six rows). If you have a button larger than 5/8”, you may need to add another flat knot/seed bead.



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Now do the same for the right side; string a size 11 seed bead onto Cord 12 and tie a flat knot underneath it. Continue this pattern for another 5 flat knots.

Take the two innermost cords from the left hand side and tie them in a flat knot with the two innermost cords from the right side.

String a 4mm crystal bead onto the two centermost cords and tie a flat knot around them using the cords adjacent to them.



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Tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots starting with the outermost left side cord and ending after the

cord. Then tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots starting from the right side and ending also after Cord 6.

Tie another row of diagonal half hitch knots from the left side, then from the right side.



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You are done tying knots! Crop the cords close and paint the outer edge of diagonal double half hitch knots with clear fingernail polish. Let the nail polish dry and crop the cords as close as you can without cutting into the knots. Now all you have left to do is sew a button onto the Button Bed.

aspen choker tutorial

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