How to Do Square Stitch

Square stitch builds a grid by stacking beads in straight vertical columns. The chart reads exactly, and the straight edges make it ideal for attaching bracelet clasps.

You will need

Miyuki Delica beads (see the DB color numbers)
Beading thread (KO, One-G, or similar)
Beading needle (size #10–#12)
Scissors and a bead mat

1. Add a stopper bead

About 15 cm (6 in) from the end of the thread, string one bead in a color not used in the pattern and pass through it again to lock it. This stopper bead keeps your first beads from sliding off; you remove it at the end.

Stopper bead: about 15 cm from the thread end, pass through one bead twice to hold it

2. String row 1

String the bottom row of the chart in order — that is row 1.

Square stitch row 1: string the bottom chart row in order in a straight line

3. Row 2 onward: through the bead below, then back up

Pick up one bead for row 2.
Pass the needle through the bead directly below it in the previous row.
Pass back up through the bead you just added. It locks in place above the bead below.
Repeat across, tightening the thread after every bead.
At the end of the row, pass back through all of the previous row, then all of the current row to tighten. This lines the beads up perfectly straight.

Square stitch: pick up bead 6, pass through bead 5 directly below again, then back through 6 to lock it in place

Bead 7 loops through bead 4 below it, bead 8 through bead 3 - repeat the same move across the row

At the row's end, pass through all of the previous row and all of the current row again to straighten and tighten

Square stitch rows alternate direction and the beads stack in straight columns, matching the chart

Square-stitch charts use letter symbols (A, B, C…) that match the bead list. Because the grid maps one-to-one, the picture never distorts.

4. The same chart works on a bead loom

A square-stitch chart also works on a bead loom: warp up threads for the band width, then weave a row of beads at a time across the warp. Because the threads run straight in both directions, you get the same grid fabric as square stitch. It's a fast way to weave long bracelets.

5. Square vs peyote

Square (or loom) … straight edges, great for bracelets with sheet-end clasps; the chart shows exactly.
Peyote … little stretch, supple fabric; great for earrings, motifs and hair ties.

Each Tsubuzukan pattern picks the stitch that suits the motif (peyote for most, square stitch for blocky designs) and comes as a numbered chart.

6. Finishing off

Weave the tail through nearby beads, tie two or three half-hitch knots on the bridges, and trim. Remove the stopper bead and finish that tail too. For findings, see Joining Parts & Attaching Findings.