Krazy StitcherLoom beading and off-loom stitching can produce similar-looking beadwork, but they are built in different ways, and the right choice depends on what you are making. Both are well supported in pattern software, so the question is usually about the finished piece and how you like to work.
How loom beading works
A bead loom holds a set of parallel warp threads under tension. You thread a row of beads onto a weft thread, slide it under the warp threads, push each bead up into a gap between two warp threads, and pass the needle back through the beads above the warp. The beads then sit in a neat, square grid. A piece that is 20 beads wide uses 21 warp threads, one more than the number of beads across.
- Strengths: it is fast and gives very regular rows. It handles wide pieces well, such as cuffs, belts, bag straps and wall hangings. The square grid also suits detailed pictures, since a chart maps straight onto the beadwork.
- Trade-offs: you need a loom. Shapes are limited to a rectangle with straight sides, and finishing takes time because the warp threads must be secured. On a wide piece that can mean many thread ends to weave in, unless you use an end bar or clasp that holds them.
How off-loom stitching works
Off-loom stitches build the fabric with a single needle and thread and no frame. The common ones are peyote, brick stitch, square stitch, herringbone, right-angle weave (RAW) and netting. Each places beads in a different arrangement and produces a different texture.
- Peyote and brick stitch are offset stitches that make a smooth, firm fabric. Brick stitch lets you start and stop a row anywhere, which makes shaped pieces like earrings easy.
- Square stitch gives the same square grid as loom work without a loom, so loom charts translate directly.
- Herringbone makes a slanted, ropelike fabric and is often worked in tubes.
- Right-angle weave makes a very flexible, drapey fabric that is good for wearable pieces.
- Netting makes open, lacy fabric that curves easily.
The trade-offs are the reverse of the loom. Off-loom work is slower per bead and the tension depends on your hand, but you need no equipment, you can take it anywhere, and you can make curves, tubes and three-dimensional shapes.
Side by side
| Loom | Off-loom | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Fast, a full row at a time | Slower, bead by bead |
| Equipment | A loom and warp thread | Needle, thread, beads |
| Shape | Rectangles | Almost any shape, including tubes |
| Flexibility | Stiffer, depends on warp tension | From firm (peyote) to drapey (RAW) |
| Finishing | Warp threads to secure | One thread to weave in |
| Portability | Bulky | Very portable |
A worked example
You want a cuff 20 beads wide in 11/0 Delica beads. In Krazy Stitcher’s bead table, an 11/0 Delica is 1.6 mm wide and 1.3 mm tall, so 20 beads across is about 32 mm. For a 6.5 inch (165 mm) length you need about 127 rows. On a loom that is 127 passes of the weft thread and 21 warp threads to finish. In peyote, the same cuff is one long thread and the rows are shifted by half a bead, which adds a little to the width. The pattern changes slightly between them: peyote and brick are offset grids, while a loom is a square grid, so the same picture can look a little different. The Size tool shows the finished dimensions for whichever stitch you pick.
How to choose
- Wide, flat pieces and detailed pictures: loom, or square stitch if you do not have a loom.
- Earrings, pendants and shaped pieces: brick stitch or peyote.
- Soft, wearable fabric: right-angle weave or peyote.
- Open, lacy pieces: netting.
- Tubes and ropes: tubular peyote, herringbone or right-angle weave.
Most beaders learn both and pick per project. In Krazy Stitcher you choose the stitch when you set up a pattern, and the grid and bead counts adjust to match. To learn more about specific stitches, see What Is Peyote Stitch?, Brick Stitch Basics and Right-Angle Weave Explained.