This month's pattern is
a lovely beaded pen cover donated by Betsy Paine. Betsy also has
pen cover patterns for sale. If interested, be sure to contact
her.
Instructions:
Betsy's Beaded Pen Instructions
Materials Used:
Delica Beads (in colors given or using your favorites)
Size B Nymo in a suitable color
Size 10 beading needle (a "sharp")
Papermate Flexigrip Ultra Ballpoint Pens – These
pens are widely available in different barrel and ink colors. I chose
this kind because they can be refilled from the bottom without having to
take the cover off of the pen. Be sure to get the ones that are not
retractable! Also remember that the color of the barrel will affect
the appearance of your work if you’re using many transparent beads.
(Remove the top of the pen and the ink supply while working.)
Beeswax
Thread Heaven
Note: I use beeswax first to coat and straighten
the Nymo, then coat it with Thread Heaven. This keeps knotting to
a minimum and strengthens the thread for multiple passes through beads
and for the pulling required to keep your tension.
General Directions for All Designs
While working these patterns, you will read the graph
from the bottom up and each row of the graph from right to left.
(If you’re left-handed, you should be able to follow these directions in
reverse and do all right.)
On the first pen I made, I used the traditional square
stitch—one bead at a time. It took a long time to do! So, on
the next one, I decided to work two beads at a time and developed my own
version of "two-drop square stitch." This makes a very strong fabric
and reinforces your work as you go. An illustrative name would be
"two beads forward and three beads back." A little long for a stitch
name, but you’ll see what I mean when we start the second row.
Following the graph, working from the bottom up and
from right to left, string the first row of 23 beads. Tie the beads
tightly into a circle around the pen, leaving a 6" tail to be woven in
later. You may need a helper to hold the pen while you tie a double
knot as tightly around the pen as you can. If the circle is a little
loose, don’t worry. You can take up the slack as you work Row 2 and
then reinforce. Row 1 is now on your pen. Figure 1 illustrates
your ring of 23 beads, shown without the pen.
Figure 1
NOTE: It is important to keep in mind that
the beads are counted counter clock-wise, going to the left from the knot.
You may want to write in these numbers above.
For Row 2, pick up the first two beads indicated
on the graph, then going from left to right, pass back through (PBT) the
first two beads of Row 1. Now, from right to left, go though the
first two beads of Row 2 that you just added. The first two beads
of Row 2 should be stacked on top of the first two beads of Row 1.
You are now in position to add the next two beads.
Pick up the next two beads of Row 2. That’s
the "two beads forward" part. Now, going from left to right, pass
your needle back through the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd beads of Row 1, in that
order. That’s the "three beads back" part. Bring your thread
up snugly between the 1st and 2nd beads of Row 2 and going from right to
left, go through the 2nd bead of Row 2 and
continue on through the 3rd and 4th beads you
just added. You are now in position to add the next two beads.
Continue adding two beads at a time in this manner until you have completed
Row 2.
Figure 2 illustrates your thread path through the
first two rows of beading. (The black line is the thread of Row 1 which
was tied onto the pen.)
Figure 2
For a closer look, Figure 3 shows the thread path
through only a few beads with arrows added.
Figure 3
At the end of Row 2 and each row throughout, you
will have a single bead to add (the 23rd one). Pick up this bead,
then from left to right, go through the last two beads on Row 1.
Bring thread snugly up between the 22nd and 21st beads of Row 2 and go
through beads 22 and 23 again. You are now in position to reinforce
the first two rows.
Now, let’s reinforce the two rows you have completed.
This is easy! Just move down a row and go through all the beads on
Row 1 again, being sure to go from right to left from the seam, around
the pen. Come out of the last bead on Row 1. Pull your thread
snug to close the seam. Now, go through Row 2 again, moving in the
same direction, keeping a snug, even tension as you go.
Now, you’re ready to tighten the seam between your
first and last beads of Rows 1 and 2. Come out of the last bead of
Row 2 and go (right to left) through the first 4 or 5 beads of Row 2.
Now move down to Row 1 (keeping the thread between beads) and, moving from
left to right, go through the same number of beads on Row 1. Continue
past the seam and go through the last 4 or 5 beads of Row 1, move up to
Row 2 and pass back through the same number of beads, going from right
to left, and come out at the end of Row 2. If that’s as clear as
mud, maybe Figure 4 will help. It shows the thread path for doing
this reinforcing. The green line indicates the seam. The blue
line indicates the thread path.
Figure 4
After reinforcing Rows 1 and 2 and the seam, you
are ready to move on. Subsequent rows are completed the same as Row
2. Reinforce at the end of each row as illustrated in Figure 4.
You may also want to reinforce every fifth or sixth row as we did above
by going through all the beads of that row again and then reinforcing the
seam again. Doing this can help to maintain the tightness of the
cover around the pen. When you reach the top of the barrel, put the
screw-on top back on the pen and continue beading. Each of the charts
is 70 beads high, and that should take to you to the top of the pen (with
the top on). What you do from there is up to you, although I will
include a few basic ideas here. You can also look through your beading
magazines for hairsticks and other beaded items for more embellishment
ideas.
Fringe Top (as shown on Geometric)
When you are through with Row 70, work one more round
in your choice of color(s) and decrease this row by 5 beads evenly spaced
around, leaving 18 beads on this row. For the next row, alternate
adding one bead (base beads) and then a fringe or just a "streamer" with
larger or special beads at the ends evenly spaced around. Go back
through each of the base beads to reinforce the round and pull it snug.
Then decrease for two or three more rows until you can add a special larger
bead or crystal at the very top! Reinforce your top bead and down
through all your decrease rows at least once. Now you’re done!
Top-Knot (as shown on Color Splash)
After Row 70, work four rows (again, your choice
of color) with four evenly-spaced decreases in each row until you are down
to 7 beads. Now, reinforce the four decreasing rows you just worked
by going back down and around each row and coming back up again, pulling
each row snug as you go around. When you have reinforced everything,
tie a knot, but DO NOT CUT YOUR THREAD. Now, working across the top
of your pen, stitch back and forth a few times, creating an "X" of thread.
Pass your thread around the center of the X a few times and tie a knot
around it but DO NOT CUT YOUR THREAD. This will give you a starting
point from the top center of the pen, so your big bead will stand up straight.
String your top-knot, starting with a large bead that will sit on top of
the pen. This is a great place to use tubes, crystals, flower and/or
leaf beads or anything else fancy you may have in your stash. Then come
back down through your big bead and around the last row a couple of times.
You may want to put a dab of E6000 under your big bead and press it down
onto the pen top until dry. Voila!
Why Square Stitch?
I know that many of you will be asking yourselves
at this point, "Why couldn’t I do this on a loom, then zip it up around
the pen? Wouldn’t that be faster?" Well, let me just say that
you could, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I tried it myself and found
that, with all the time needed to set up the loom, do the beading, taking
it off the loom, tying off the warp threads, taping them to the back, etc.,
I really didn’t feel like it was any easier or faster for me. I also
have doubts about how well a loomed piece would wear. I believe this
version of the square stitch will make a pen cover that will last for years
and years! Also, when I tried wrapping the loomed piece around the
pen and "zipping it up," it was a little too tight and the loomed piece
tended to buckle on me.
So, if any of you are particularly talented with
the loom and would like to try it this way, please feel free. But
don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Choice of Beads
After some experimentation, I decided that I like
the feel of the Delica beads better for these pens, mainly just because
they create a smoother surface than regular seed beads. That’s important
if you’re going to be using the pen a lot, like I do. I would also
recommend not using any of the Delica beads that are dyed or have other
finishes that will rub off, particularly not on the bottom part of the
pen.
Experimentation
I am just getting my feet wet with these pen covers,
and I’m having lots of fun! My next experiments will include some
surface beading and/or embellishment on the upper part of the pen!
Feel free to let your creativity flow. Once the basic cover is made,
the possibilities are endless. And, if you come up with any ideas
that work particularly well, please let me know about them.
About the Author
I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I
live here with my daughter (Jessica), our dog (Auggie, a female Beagle/Sheltie
mix), a calico cat and one turtle that my SO rescued from a job site a
few years ago. I also crochet and design crochet patterns and do
a variety of writing, editing, and wordprocessing for my "real" job.
I’d much rather design crochet and beading patterns full-time! Maybe
someday?!
Charlene's Bead Shop
Phone: (760) 948-6184
E-Mail: cbbeads@qnet.com
Unless otherwise stated, all designs are
original designs by, and the property of,
Charlene Booth.. You may use these designs
for personal use only.
Copyright December 24, 1997. All rights
reserved.
Copyright December 24, 1997. Charlene
Booth.