African Love Bead Necklace

Clover Needlecraft

5 years ago

Take our Swift Bead – Quick Beading Needle for a spin with this project. Make a vintage African Love Bead Necklace!

Gather these supplies…

Tools

Swift Bead (Art No. 2300) – purchase on Clover Website
Soft Touch Crochet Hook-1 mm (Art No. 1023) – purchase on Clover Website or Amazon
or Amour Crochet Hook-1 mm (Art No. 1223) – purchase on Clover Website or Amazon
Gold Eye Chenille Needles (No. 18) (Art No. 234/18) – purchase on Clover Website or Amazon
Antique Yarn Threader (Art No. 3114) – purchase on Clover Website or Amazon
Mini Patchwork Scissors (Art No. 493/CW) – purchase on Clover Website or Amazon

Materials

Vintage string of African love beads 2-3mm size. (These beads can be picked up from a bead merchant or found on Etsy)
Gütermann Top Stitch Thread 30m spool. This is a strong heavy polyester thread and is used mostly for decorative sewing and it is also suitable for fine crochet. Good for jewelry because of strength and color fastness. Here, the color Col. 893 is used.

Abbreviations

sl st: slip stitch
ch: chain
dc: double crochet

Styles

Both necklaces are made exactly the same way. The “lariat” style is just longer than the “knotted” style.

Short Knotted Style: Knotted close, slips over the head. Total amount of beads needed 256.
Long Lariat Style: Open ended, wear multiple ways. Total amount of beads needed 356.

Here’s How:

Start by emptying your African love beads into the clear tube, thread your Swift Bead, follow written instructions on how to use the quick beading needle.

For the knotted style take your Swift Bead and thread 102 beads on to your thread, for the Lariat style thread 202 beads.

Necklace Length

Cast on to your hook, slide one bead up close to the hook then chain, this will secure a bead at the very beginning.

This first starter bead at the beginning will help hold the tassel in place and we will end the necklace length with a bead as well.

Continue to plain chain approximately 4.5 in (11-12 cm).

Tip: Choose a larger size bead for the first and last bead on the necklace length.

After you have completed the plain chain section work beaded section as follows.

*Slide bead up close to the hook and chain to secure the bead, ch 3, secure a bead, ch 3, repeat from *until you get to the second last bead, secure the second last bead, then plain chain a section 4 in (10 cm).

NOTE: I like to make it a bit asymmetrical, if you want a very symmetrical necklace then make the plain chain section the same length as the beginning plain chain section 4.5 in (11-12 cm).

Secure the final bead at the end of the plain chain section.

Tassels

You will make 2 tassels. You need to thread 154 beads, 77 beads per tassel.

Make a magic circle, ch 3 (counts as first dc), 13 dc into magic circle = 14 dc.

Join with sl st into the top of the ch 3.

Slide 11 beads up close to the hook sl st into the next dc, *sl st into the next dc, slide 11 beads up to the hook sl st into next dc.

Repeat from * 5 times more, = 7 bead loops.

Do NOT pull center magic ring tight at this point!

Note: I found the tassels sit best with the right side underneath and the wrong side of the crochet facing up.

The crochet tassel naturally cups with the wrong side out.

Do what you prefer.

Finishing

Slide each tassel over the end bead of the necklace length now pull the magic ring as tight as possible. Slide the tassel down to the end, the end bead should stop it sliding off.

Secure the tassel in place and finish off all ends.

Lastly, if you choose to do the knotted style, knot the two ends together in the plain chain section.