Tutorial: Pen Wrap (Pilot G2 with Delicas)

Pen wraps are a new found love of mine!  I think they look really good and make lovely gifts.  Who doesn't need a nice pen?

Begin by creating a piece of peyote beadwork using Miyuki size 11 delicas.  It should be 44 columns across and 21 rows deep.  Leave one working thread and finish all other threads off.

Pilot G2 pens are great for this and widely used by beaders.  

The pens are refillable and because they unscrew to allow a refill to be put inside, it also allows for the pen wrap to be slid off if necessary.  

The pen wrap sits on the clear section of the barrel of the pen and must be slid under the clip.

Position the wrap so the two sides of the wrap that will be zipped together are on the opposite side of the pen to the clip.

The two sides of the pen wrap must now be zipped together to form a tube of beadwork on the pen.  The pink dot shows the bead that the working thread exits from, before beginning zipping it up.  Thread through the high bead on the other side of the join.

Take the thread back across the join and through the next high bead.

Keep going, zig zagging across the gap, pulling tight so that the beads mesh together, so no join is visible.

Weave the working thread away and finish it off in your normal way.  It can be tricky weaving through as there is not much give between beads once the pen wrap is tight to the pen, but it is possible to wiggle through.  You can angle beads a little to create gaps.

Finished Pen Wrap!

Tutorial: Simple Wide Loop

Loops are useful in forming a clasp and there are different styles.  When creating a clasp with a button, I often like to use a wide loop that attaches to the beadwork with roughly the same distance between the two anchor points as the diameter of the button.  This makes the clasp less fiddly to do up and undo.  

It is only suitable for use where it is intended that the bracelet is work tight to the wrist.  If the bracelet is not worn in this way, the wide loop will mean the clasp is likely to become undone unintentionally.

You can experiment with the colours of the loop to match your beadwork, or just choose one colour.

Firstly, identify the anchor columns of the beadwork, shown as blue and red. These columns should be the two outer columns of the beadwork that have their full width underneath the button.

This will enable you to identify the position of the red and blue beads shown below, which are the key points at which the loop is anchored.

Add a new thread in your usual way and stitch through to the red bead from the edge of the beadwork.

Add beads to the correct length for the loop.  This is likely to require a little experimentation.  I like to leave a small gap between the two ends of the beadwork of about 5mm.  These allow the ends of the beadwork to be pushed together when loosening the clasp so the loop can be removed from around the button.  Leave this gap when calculating the right number of beads to add and also account for the fact it will go under the bead.

Once you have the appropriate number of beads, you need to attach the other end of the loop.  Don't stitch through the blue bead however, stitch into the bead highlighted green.  The bead highlighted blue is not a high bead at the end of the beadwork, so the last bead of the loop, highlighted light blue will actually become a high bead on top of the blue bead.  Stitch round  so that you pass through the yellow bead.

Take the thread through the light blue bead in the opposite direction to before, so that the bead is pulled into the gap between the two high beads of the peyote bracelet.  Then stitch through all the beads of the loop.  Previous bead path is shown in grey now.

Stitch through the red bead in the opposite direction.  Then you can either stitch round and go through all the beads in the loop again, or you can stitch away then finish your thread.

This loop can be created as one half of several types of clasps.  I like to pair it with buttons and will be releasing a number of tutorials for attaching buttons to beadwork.

Tutorial: Bead Slides with Toggle Clasp

Weave any loose ends into the beadwork and finish as you normally would for your choice of thread.  Do not remove the final working thread from the beadwork at this point, in case you need to adjust the bracelet length.

I used two bead slides and then attached a toggle clasp, which has the attachment loop at the same angle as the clasp.  These particular bead slides can take beads up to size 8.  I like to finish the existing thread and begin a new thread for the clasp.  This means that if the clasp thread should wear through, the beadwork will remain intact.

Working at the end marked start in the diagram above, add a new thread and exit the bead highlighted in the close up below.

Thread through to the first bead of the last row (highlighted in blue) and thread through it.

Pick up the first bead slide bead.

Thread through the previous bead from the original beadwork (highlighted in blue) in the same direction as before (brick stitch).

Stitch through the beadwork to the next high bead (highlighted) and pass the thread through it.

Carry on adding the bead slide beads in the same way across the end of the beadwork and finish the thread off.

The bead slide consists of a tube with a slot in the side.  At the ends of the tube there are bendable flaps.  Make sure one flap is tight to the tube and the other one is open. Slide each of the bead slide beads in to the tube so that the threads between the bead slide beads and the peyote bracelet beadwork fit into the slot.  All the peyote delicas sit outside the bead slide.  Once you have worked all the bead slide beads in to the tube, close the second flap of the bead slide.

Next add the toggle to the bead slide using three (or more) jump or split rings.  Split rings

require a special tool to open easily but this means there is no chance of things slipping through gaps accidentally.  If you use jump rings open them with pliers, by moving one end to the side as this does not stretch the ring and allows it to be easily closed by flattening it with pliers.

Take the second bead slide and add the loop of the clasp with a jump or split ring in the same way and then put the two parts of the clasp together.

At this point, I like to check the length of the bracelet and ensure it is a good fit, now I know the length of the clasp exactly.  If necessary, add or remove rows with the remaining working thread and then finish the thread.

Add a new thread and brick stitch bead slide beads on to all the high beads on the end of the beadwork in the same way, before sliding the bead slide beads in to the tube and sealing it closed.

This method can be amended if the attachment loop on the metal ring or toggle of the clasp is perpendicular to the clasp.  The addition of a second jump ring will prevent the clasp from twisting.

Put on your new bracelet and do a happy dance!

Bead Basics: Seed Bead Colours

The range of seed beads is truly staggering.  Miyuki produce well over 1000 different size 11 delica beads for instance.  I am going to run through some of the different types of finish.

Opaque - these are solid colour beads with a gloss surface.  They do not get affected by the colour of the beads around them so much so give definite colour in a piece and clear edges.

Matte Opaque - these are solid colour beads with a matte surface.  They feel a little softer than standard opaques and give a very different texture.  They also have very definite colour and don't pick up colour from other beads.  The finish is actually a frosting and they are sometimes called frosted.

Semi-Frosted - these are less frosted than the fully matte beads

Metallic - these have a metallic finish and come in a range of colours.  They have highly reflective surfaces and as a result they can pick up on colours around them slightly.  They add sparkle.  The metallic finish and reflectiveness result in slightly less solid colour than opaques.

Matte Metallic - Instead of a gloss reflective surface, these metallic beads are matte, giving them a softer look.  These are a particular favourite of mine.  They have a little natural colour variation throughout the bead which is beautiful.

Plated and Metal - you can also get delicas made from metal rather than glass.  Some are made from base metal and then plated while others are solid precious metal.  The price varies!  Solid gold beads  are not cheap...  I have used silver in some pieces where I have really wanted that look and feel and been prepared to pay for it for that piece.  

Galvanized - a metallic coating is added to the beads, similar to metallic beads.

Transparent - see through glass that gives a different light quality to a piece.  Colours are more likely to be influenced by surrounding colours and are not as strong.

Transparent Matte / Frosted - the glass is still see through but has a frosted finish.  They are less likely to pick up on colours next to them as they are not reflective but the colours have a soft look.

Silver Lined - Mirror like shiny beads, the silver sits in the hole and the glass is coloured.  The colour is strong.

Colour Lined - Instead of being lined with silver, the bead is lined with another colour and this gives the bead a different look.  For instance magenta lined blue will have hints of blue and magenta and the colour of the blue will be shifted because of the magenta.  They can act as useful beads to bridge two different colours.  Sometimes they are transparent glass with a colour lining and these obviously have a weaker colour because not all of the bead is coloured.  Also worth noting are white lined beads as I think these look particularly lovely in greens and blues.

Pearl Lined - These are lined beads which have a more muted and subtle lining colour.  The pearl is light enough to still be reflective but has some colour variation.

Silk Lined - Another variation!  I think this is where the silk satin finish is used as a lining instead of on the outside of a bead.

Fancy Lined - These are new and I have not had a good look at them yet....

AB - this is a particular lustre finish added to beads that gives the surface a rainbow effect, although the precise colours of the effect depend on the bead underneath.  The colour is less solid as a result and so a green AB bead may have hints of blue or purple and the beads will not all be exactly the same colour.  These beads are beautiful and attractive but they tend to pick up on the colours around them.  A piece of beadwork made entirely of beads like this is less like likely to have clear distinctions between colours but will be pretty and glittery.  Colour variation will be more subtle.

Gold lustre - a gold sheen over the surface of a bead, it adds an extra colour dimension.  I have some violet gold lustre and these are beautiful beads.  

Iris - is another lustre finish that is multi coloured rather than single coloured but not as multi coloured as AB.  These beads will be affected by the beads surrounding them in regards to what colour they look.

Ceylon - this is a finish that gives a soft pearly quality and is only found in lighter pastel colours.  They give a solid colour finish.

Silk Satin - This is a soft finish that reminds me of the mineral Selenite.  Selenite is fibrous and both frosted and shiny.  I think the glass is etched with fine lines.

Luminous - A range of colours designed to be particularly bright.

Duracoat - This is a particular type of opaque coating that is more hard wearing.  They don't look very different from other opaque beads.

Dyed - not all colours can be produced with every technique and some colours are achieved by dying the beads.  

Different finishes and types of bead can be combined so that you have silver lined semi frosted beads - these would be coloured glass beads with a silver lining to make them reflective but the glass has been partly frosted to give a matte type finish.  Matte metallic iris would be matte metallic beads with an iris coating which would give them more variation in colour across the bead.

The types of bead you choose are just as important as the colour to the overall end effect of a piece.  It can be useful to pour some beads on to a mat to look at colour and colour strength as when you look at them in a tube the colour can appear stronger as you are looking through multiple beads.  I think that mixing finishes can be as good as having all one finish.  If you mix up finishes then the light will interact with the different beads in a piece in different ways.

In That Blue Bracelet, I used whatever sea like colours I had.  Ten different ones.  They all react differently to the light and I like this because the sea changes colour based on how it reacts to the light.  It has galvanized, matte, silver lined, iris, opaque, frosted and metallic and as a result, all the layers behave differently.  If Monochrome Magic is the middle ground of mixing finishes, That Blue is the extreme.

In my Monochrome Magic bracelet I used two very shiny beads that pick up and reflect any light there is.  These were galvanized un metal (DB453) and transparent silver grey (DB114) and they do not sit next to each other so when the light hits it, zig zag lines stand out in dark and light grey.  The chalk white is opaque (DB200) so it is reflective but not as reflective as the other two, so it picks up some light and then the light part of the design, chalk white with light grey either side really stands out.  The remaining two colours are both matte, black (DB310) and matte metallic silver (DB321), which means that these two colours really swallow the light.  I always think matte black looks blacker and darker and the matte colours make the shiny colours stand out more.

Light combined uses matte transparent coloured beads edge in opaque white.  I like the way if feels like the coloured beads are full of light and framed by the opaque beads.  It's an affect I intend to use further.

Sticking to one finish has great effects too.  I made my rainbow using matte transparent beads and they give the bracelet a soft but light effect; hold it up to the light and it shines through.  All That Jazz uses silver lined beads, with one galvanized thrown in though you would have to look hard to see it.  The result is a beautiful shiny piece that looks like a multi coloured piece of silver foil with tiny scales.  Mysterious Mauve is full of matte metallic which gently blend in to each other and it has such a soft fluid quality I adore.

By Fires Light uses a mix of opaques and matte opaques.  You would not notice until you shone a light directly on it and then the dark red and yellow just catch the light differently.  It gives the piece a subtle depth.  There is no chance of the colours blending in to each other, because of the opaques, but the mix of matte and non-matte separates them even further.

Copper Tree is based around two colours of olive bead, one matte and the other AB.  The AB has given the beads a pinkish overtone but by placing the beads next to copper beads, it's shifts the AB finish to looking coppery.  Where the light hits the shiny beads, there is almost a tiny bit of gold which ties in the yellow gold.  In some lights and at some angles the colours merge, at others the copper and olive AB shine in unity while in other conditions every colour is distinct and harmonious.

A piece I am working on at the moment is called Colour Shift.  It contains pink, purple, green and blue in beautiful jewel like tones so you think the colours would really stand out as individuals.  The beads however include two iris finishes, a lustre and a glazed silver lined.  The result is that the colours largely merge into a multi coloured reflective beauty.  The pattern is discernible but subtle as the beads are the star of this one.

It can take a lot of experience to know in advance how the colours and finishes and effects will all work together.  I don't think it matters.  Experiment and enjoy.  See what happy accidents occur.  Pick colours you love and be prepared to do a few rows and see if you like how it looks.

Beading Basics: Seed Beads

Seed Beads is a generic term used for small beads, although it can also apply specifically to doughnut shaped beads also known as rocailles.  A number of other shapes are available but for beadweaving, the delica, which is a small tube, is other most commonly used shape.

Rocaille - doughnut shaped bead

Delica - tube shaped bead

Hex - tube shaped bead with a hexagonal profile, or six flat surfaces

Bugle - longer tube bead

Triangle - have three rectangular faces and two triangular faces with the hole passing through the triangular faces.  May have sharp or rounded corners.

Drops - water drop shaped with the hole through the thin pointed end

Magatama - are difficult to describe.  It's like one side of the bead has been pulled out.  Sometimes described as comma shaped.

Dagger - flattish long beads which are narrower at the top, they slowly widen then narrow quickly to a point.  The hole is through the top, but goes through so that the beads lie flat with the dagger shape on show.

Charlotte - rocaille shaped beads with one cut facet to give extra sparkle.  They are very, very small.  One of my friends describes beading with them as like beading dust.

In recent years, a huge number of other bead shapes have been developed but these would not generally be used in the sort of peyote projects I am currently doing.  They would be used in bead stringing projects as well as bead weaving projects where the shapes can fit together like a mosaic or be used as the basis for further embellishment with seed beads (or both).  Some of them have multiple holes.  They deserve a post of their own and are not generally included as seed beads as most of them are larger.

Crystal glass beads, such as Swarovski or Czech glass also come in a vast number of shapes and sizes.  These sorts of beads are known as faceted because they have multiple cut smooth sides.  They add sparkle.  Some of them are tiny enough to be considered as seed beads but they generally are considered separately.

Seed beads are classed by size so that the larger the number, the smaller the bead.  I think the original size was down to manufacturers who would have their size 0 bead and they would get 6 size 6 beads on the same length of thread as their size 0.  Generally size 11's are a nice size to work with, small, but not too small.  Size 8's and 6's are also widely available and look great, just giving a chunkier look and a thicker piece of beading.  Size 15's are also widely available and smaller than size 11's, you will need a finer needle to work with them.  Charlotte beads are smaller than size 15's.

The sizing convention is generally applied to rocailles, delicas and triangles but less so to other bead shapes.  Many of the other shapes are described with metric dimensions.  A lot of the new shapes are standard to that shape, so a peanut bead will always be a particular shape and size and are generally described with metric dimensions.  Swarovski beads are also given in metric sizes but suppliers who specialise in these will often include line drawings of the shapes on their websites because there are just so many different shapes.  Many bead shops will stock some colours of the most common shapes and sizes, such as bicones (two cones joined at the circular end and then cut to give facets for sparkle) and rivoli's (coin shaped, flattish but rises to a point on each of the faces of the coin, often foil backed to increase sparkle, they have no hole and are beaded around for fancy designs).

There are three main manufacturers of precision seed beads, all based in Japan.  Czech seed beads are also available as are cheaper, lower quality beads.  Matsuno are the cheapest of the three and their seed beads are a little more irregular in size.  This is fine for peyote and bead loom work where you do not mind a little irregularity, as it can add character.

I am less familiar with Toho as they are not stocked by my local bead shop.

I generally use Miyuki beads.  Delica is a trademark design of Miyuki and the precision and uniformity of these little tubes is great.  They give a wonderful evenness to peyote designs.  That said they effectively look like little rectangles in peyote designs where as rocailles have a more elliptical profile which I also enjoy and use.

For flat beadwork, I would not generally mix makes and I would stick to one size.  Changing the size of beads is one way to introduce dimension to beadwork.  The different brands have slightly different sizing and the shapes may vary slightly and while this may not be obvious when looking at tubes of beads, it is often noticeable on flay uniform beadwork.

The beads come in a huge range of colours and finish is a huge part of the colour effect.  The finish can increase the size of beads very slightly.

So generally I use Miyuki size 11 beads in either seed bead / rocaille or delicas but my patterns will work with any type of seed bead.  In fact That Blue Bracelet was a deliberate combination of Miyuki and Matsuno to give an uneven finish.

Beading Basics: Needle and Thread

Seed beads refers to any small beads and because of the size of the hole, special thread and beading needles are used.  Beading needles are much slimmer than those used for sewing and the hole is more of a slit than an eye so that the needles fits through.  You can buy selection packs of needles which are pretty cheap and this enables you to try different size beading needles out.  If you find that your needle won't fit through a particular bead as it is too small or you have a lot of thread going through a bead, you can switch to a smaller size.

You may find that you want to buy packs of individual needles as you progress.  Size 10 needles are a good size for threading and will fit through size 11 beads comfortably.  These are the largest needle used for beading.  General sizes go to 13 with the needles becoming much finer as the size increases.  Size 15 needles are the finest and can fit through size 15 beads.  They do however bend and break much more easily than size 10 needles and can be much harder to thread.  Another type of needle is known as a sharp and these are shorter needles which makes them less bendy and they come in similar sizes but are generally less commonly used.

I keep packs of size 10 needles for general use and size 15's for any desperately tiny beads, but I use the 15's only when I have too.  I also have size 12 sharps and these are my preferred needle.  Most people begin with the normal length beading needles and never switch to sharps.  It's very much a personal choice.  Sometimes in more complicated beadweaving projects the greater length and flexibility of normal length beading needles is really useful.

Once a needle becomes bent it is a good idea to stop using it as it will put more pressure on your hand as you have to grip it tighter to stop it rotating.  I find sharps break less but beading needles do break as they are pretty delicate.  Sometimes needles lose the back of the eye too and this is more likely with the finest needles, so don't tug too hard at the thread by the needle and expect your needle to survive.

Because beading needles have a slit rather than an eye, beading thread is flat, unlike sewing thread which is circular.  It is much easier to thread flat thread through a flat eye.  When I first started beading, the generally used beading thread was called Nymo.  Nymo was not conditioned so it was more vulnerable to wear from beads and sharp edges.  Before use we would condition the thread using beeswax or a little blue pot of thread heaven, which was less sticky.  Things have moved on a lot since then!

Next came KO which is preconditioned thread and lovely to use.  A lot of professional beaders still prefer to use this type of thread because they feel it gives greater fluidity and flexibility to their pieces.  

Wire was always available but obviously it just doesn't have the flexibility for bead weaving.  I have seen some great bead crochet projects with it and wire work is it's own whole area of beading.  There are some braided wires with a plastic coating on the market though that are really great for necklaces.  I have a reel of Beadlon wire for this purpose.

At some point, somebody realised that that fishing line would be great for beading.  Fireline in particular has really taken off and is now strongly promoted as beading thread rather than fishing line.  It has some of the qualities of wire and some of thread.  It is not to everyone's taste but I personally love it and to date, all of my patterns have been made using it.  It is more expensive though, than thread.

It comes in several different strengths which relate to it's thickness with 4lb being the thinnest and 6lb and 8lb being progressively stronger and thicker.  I am currently using 6lb and this is fine for the sorts of bracelets I am using with no issues fitting thread through size 11 beads.  4lb would be fine to use too.  It does kink a little like wire though!  Also, it is not flat but in order to thread it, you can flatten the end with a pair of pliers or nails.  If you have posh fingernails, don't do this!  Fireline is tough stuff.  I once met a beader who used to do it between her teeth and she damaged her teeth.  Fireline will blunt scissors so because of this, I use cheap nail scissors to cut it though you can buy tougher things to cut it that will withstand it.

Fireline comes in two colours, crystal which is white and smoke which is a very dark grey.  Given the translucent nature of some beads the colour really does make a difference.  Smoke can make projects look duller.  For the sort of bead projects I am completing, the only visible thread is at the end of rows and will not be obvious at all when the bracelet is being worn .  For this reason I tend to use Crystal more.  I would however switch to smoke if I was making something very dark.

There are other threading materials used for a whole range of purposes, often decorative.  Satin cord and leather thong are often used for threading larger beads on to.  C-Lon is also used for beading, mostly for threading but has a huge number of other uses.  It's an industrial strength nylon thread originally used in upholstery.  It comes in a lot of colours and looks pretty but I wouldn't use it for bead weaving as it is too thick.

It's also important to note how you will join and knot threads.  With nymo and KO you would note threads but I always used to place a drop of glue on the knot to hold it.  G-S Hypo Cement was always my favourite.  It's a jewellers glue and is a little flexible, which is great for beadweaving where the pieces are generally fluid.  It also comes in small tubes with a delicate nozzle allowing precise application of small amounts on to knots.

Fireline can be knotted without the use of glue as it is stiffer and holds better than thread.  Many people use a zapper though as this melts the fireline joining two pieces together and removing the tails.  I have not invested in one however and although many beaders I know have moved over to using them.  I think part of me likes knotting and weaving tails in.

If you use wire, you will need crimps to hold beads in place but there are a huge number of findings and options out there to investigate.

Metal findings will rub through thread and fireline over time, so if possible, always have beads in contact with the metal, rather than thread.  The issue is one of movement, so some findings that don't allow the thread to move are much better.  For instance, thread guardians are little loops you can pass a thread around to hold it and the clasp fits into the loop so that the clasp rubs on the loop rather than on thread.

How to do Peyote Stitch: Rainbow Bracelet

I wanted to do a rainbow bracelet as an appreciation for all our keyworkers as well as a tutorial on peyote stitch.  It seemed like a good a idea to combine the two and I created this rainbow bracelet which is a really simple pattern for anyone trying this stitch for the first time and looks so lovely, I think even the most experienced beader would be tempted.

You can use the same beads as me or use whatever you have in your bead stash.  Rainbows are very forgiving, they just want to be bright and colourful so you can mix up bead finishes.  It would also be easy to increase or decrease the number of colours to reflect the beads you have if necessary.  I used Miyuki size 11 delicas DB745, DB744, DB743, DB1266, DB747, DB785 and DB783.

Peyote stitch is all about rows, so it's important to know which row you are working on.  The rows are nestled in together, each one like the turret on a medieval tower.  On the charts of the design above, each row is highlighted by the fully coloured beads. These are red (R), orange (O), yellow (Y), green (G), blue (B), indigo (I) and violet (V).

Some people like to use a stop bead, this is just a large bead you put the thread through a couple of times that stops the seed beads from coming off the end of the thread.  In the diagrams, this is shown as a black circle and it can be easily removed when the beadwork is secure.  Begin by picking up rows 1 and 2 together so that they appear on the thread as above.

Rows 1 & 2 Bead Order:     R, R, O, O, Y, Y, G, G, B. B, I, I, V, V

The chart on the left shows row 3.  Row 1 is hatched and row 2 has coloured outlines while row 3 is shown as solid squares.  

A    The thread is exiting the violet of row 1 in A and now you need to pick up the violet for row 3.  

B    Pass the needle through the violet of row 2, which will push the violet of row 1 down once all the beads are pulled tight.  

C    Pick up the row 3 indigo and pass the thread through the row 2 indigo which will push the row 1 indigo down.  

D    Pick up the next colour and pass through the row 2 bead of that colour, pushing the row 1 beads down.  From blue through to red, with the thread exiting the row 2 red bead.

E    Pull all the beads tight so that they nestle together as shown.

Row 3 Bead Order:    V, I, B, G, Y, O, R

The chart on the left shows row 4.  Rows 1 & 2 are hatched and row 3 has coloured outlines while row 4 is shown as solid squares.  

A    The thread is exiting the red of row 3 in A and now you need to pick up the red for row 4.

B    Pass the needle through the red of row 3, which will sit at the edge of the beadwork.

C    Pick up the row 4 orange and pass the thread through the row 3 orange, the new bead will nestle between two high beads, the row 3 red and orange.

D    Pick up the next colour and pass through the row 3 bead of that colour.

E    Pull all the beads tight so that they nestle together as shown, each one becoming the new high bead.

Row 4 Bead Order:    R, O, Y, G, B, I, V

The chart on the left shows row 5. Rows 1, 2 and 3 are hatched and row 4 has coloured outlines while row 5 is shown as solid squares.
A The thread is exiting the violet of row 4 in A and now you need to pick up the violet for row 5.
B Pass the needle through the violet of row 4, which will sit at the edge of the beadwork.
C Pick up the row 5 indigo and pass the thread through the row 4 indigo, the new bead will nestle between two high beads, the row 4 violet and indigo.
D Pick up the next colour and pass through the row 4 bead of that colour.
E Pull all the beads tight so that they nestle together as shown, each one becoming the new high bead.


Row 5 Bead Order: V, I, B, G, Y, O, R

The chart on the left shows row 6.  Rows 1, 2, 3 & 4 are hatched and row 5 has coloured outlines while row 6 is shown as solid squares.  

A    The thread is exiting the red of row 5 in A and now you need to pick up the red for row 6.

B    Pass the needle through the red of row 5, which will sit at the edge of the beadwork.

C    Pick up the row 6 orange and pass the thread through the row 5 orange, the new bead will nestle between two high beads, the row 5 red and orange.

D    Pick up the next colour and pass through the row 5 bead of that colour.

E    Pull all the beads tight so that they nestle together as shown, each one becoming the new high bead.

Row 6 Bead Order:    R, O, Y, G, B, I, V

Then...  just keep going!

Because the pattern forms stripes of colour, it will be pretty clear if you pick up the wrong colour.

Enjoy!

p.s.  There will be tutorials on how to add the clasp and finish off threads.