New Pattern: Double Pinwheel Beaded Beads

My latest beading pattern, the Double Pinwheel Beaded Beads, is now complete!

Working with Two-Hole Triangle Beads

This is my first pattern that uses these new CzechMates two-hole triangle beads, but it's my second attempt at using them in a beading design. For my first attempt, I made a pair of earrings based on my Water Lily Windows pattern, using little flowers with triangle beads instead of the rizo beads.

I was quickly surprised at how much attention you have to give to the triangle beads - unlike SuperDuos and Tilas, two-hole triangles have a left hole and a right hole, and which hole you pass through really matters! It was a little too complicated to explain these earrings as a variation on the Water Lily Windows pattern, but I liked the effect of the triangle beads in this arrangement, so I explored this further in a second pair of earrings; I used another layer of triangle beads, with more repeats around a pearl center, and a more simplified arrangement without the Tila windows.

Pinwheel Beaded Earrings

This beading pattern makes a delightful pinwheel-shaped beaded bead, with tons of movement and texture! While you're making this beaded bead, you still need to pay attention to which of the two holes of the triangle beads that you pass through in each step, but other than that it's much more straightforward than some of my more complicated designs. It's a great project for an advanced beginner beader, and an excellent introduction to working with two-hole triangle beads. Two of these beaded beads make for a quick pair of earrings!

A Pinwheel Pendant

But this idea isn't just for earrings; a larger central bead, paired with more triangle beads, makes a dainty solo pendant.

And smaller central beads with fewer triangle beads make for a cute pair of matching earrings!

Five Different Beaded Beads!

By adjusting the size of the central bead, and the number of triangle beads, you can make at least five different sizes of this beaded bead. I describe how to make each of these five sizes in the pattern, and I incorporated all of them into this lovely necklace:

The round beads in this necklace were a Christmas gift from my sister, who found them in a bead store in Japan. I used a few O beads as spacer beads too!

The Double Pinwheel Beaded Bead pattern is available at www.beadorigami.com if you'd like to make your own!

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