Let’s talk about tubular even-count peyote! Tubular is a little trickier to do than flat peyote but is a useful stitch to have in your bank. It can be used to make bracelets, necklaces and more! 

Seed beads actually work better with tubular peyote than cylinder beads – so it’s different to flat peyote in that way.

To get started with tubular peyote, pick up an even number of beads – don’t be afraid to cull any uneven beads. Some people will say tie a knot, but I recommend NOT tying a knot! Instead, pass through all the beads again to bring it into a circle, and come out of the bead that your tail thread is exiting. You don’t need to use a stop bead.

Should you use a support with tubular peyote?

Wooden dowels or knitting needles are great for beading round to help you keep the tension and structure as you work. Just make sure they fit inside your ring with some movement and without it showing thread. 

Using a dowel can make things tricky as you have one extra thing to hold on to – but I’ve found once you get the hang of it, using one makes the stitch and tension much easier.

How to continue with tubular peyote

Pick up a seed bead, skip the next bead in the circle and then pass through the bead after. You’ll want the new bead to sit on top. Repeat this around to add beads around the circle.

Now you’ll need to do a step-up through the next sticky-outy bead (the first bead added in this round), so pass through this bead. 

Now you can start the next row by picking up a bead and passing through the next sticky-outy bead.

Tips for tubular peyote

• Don’t tie a knot on the initial round.
• When you see three beads on a row (a great big hill), you’ll know you’re back to the beginning of the round.
• Using a dowel support such as a wooden dowel or knitting needle will help with tension and getting the beads in the right place.
• If you can’t see the up/down beads on your first two rows, you can take out the beads from your first row (once you have several rounds in place). This will make it easier to join your tube to something else.