Solving a Problem

I'm in love with cube beads!
So when Natalia of realisationcreations was having a destash and wanted to offload some cubes I jumped at the opportunity.
I made a couple of bracelets with just cubes,

or cubes and seed beads,


but I remembered seeing a lovely bracelet on the BeadingDaily website.
It is called 'Cubed Herringbone' and was designed by Lorraine C. Menard.
It couldnt be better - I love herringbone (ndebele) stitch and it uses size 8 beads, so it wont take forever to make!

I even had a strand of mixed green colour 3mm czech glass beads.
Perfect!

So off I went with my needle and thread.
The pattern is easy to follow, the instuctions are clear with good illustrations.
My bracelet grew quickly - but then


- I ran out of the 3mm fire-polished crystals, and the bracelet was nowhere near long enough!
Arghhh!

What to do?
I could buy some more 3mm crystals - but I can't get them locally and I was too impatient to send for some.
I could undo it and put 6 or 7 rows of ndebele between the crystals - Who in their right mind ever undoes something and then redoes it??? Not me!
I could make a very long button and loop clasp - that would look silly.
I could just carry on in ndebele without another row of crystals - spoils the pattern.

Or I could use the threads coming out of the cubes as a base for decreasing brick stitch, which would also make a nice base for the loop and button closure.

- so that is what I did -


I only needed to add 5 rows each end and it was long enough.



I added a square green 'pegasus' bead from my bead collection, and it's DONE!



If you are a beader and not familiar with Beading Daily - it's an on-line daily newsletter from the publishers of Beadwork magazine. Go and check it out - there are fabulous patterns (some are free), helpful tips, a shop, forums - you could get lost for hours in there!