Right-Angle Weave Explained

Right-angle weave, usually shortened to RAW, is a bead stitch that makes a flexible, drapey fabric. Instead of beads sitting in offset rows like peyote or brick stitch, RAW builds the fabric out of small four-bead rings, called units, that are joined edge to edge. The thread runs through each bead at right angles to the one before it, which is where the name comes from.

How a RAW unit works

A unit is four beads in a ring, like the four sides of a small square. You string four beads, pass the needle back through the first bead to close the ring, and exit in the direction that lets you start the next unit. Each new unit shares a side (two beads) with the one before it, so after the first unit you only add three new beads per unit in the first row.

Because the thread passes through each bead from alternating directions, the fabric has give in every direction. Where peyote is firm and brick stitch is crisp, RAW moves like cloth. That is why it is a favorite for bracelets, necklaces and bezels, and for anything that has to bend around a wrist or neck.

Working a flat piece

1. Make the first row of units. Build the first unit, then add three beads for each next unit, so a strip of n units uses 3n + 1 beads.
2. Turn and start the next row. Work back across the strip, adding units on top of the first row. The first unit of the new row uses three new beads, and each unit after it needs two, because it shares a side with the unit beside it and one with the unit below.
3. Keep the thread path consistent. Rows alternate direction, and the thread path in each unit follows the same pattern as the one before. Most tutorials show this with arrows; it is much easier to follow a diagram than a description.
4. Finish. Weave the tail back through the beads and trim.

What you need

• Beads: 11/0 Delica or round seed beads are common. Many people learn RAW with larger beads, such as 8/0, because the thread path is easier to see.
• Thread: a thread that fits through each bead hole several times. RAW passes the thread through every bead more than once, so a thin, strong thread helps.
• Needle: a fine beading needle that slides through the full thread path.
• A chart or a diagram of the colors and the thread path, since the beads sit in a different arrangement from the picture on a flat grid.

How many beads does it take?

RAW uses more beads than peyote or brick stitch for the same area, because every unit is a ring of four beads, and only some of those beads are shared with neighboring units. A strip of 10 units uses 31 beads. Add two more rows of 10 units and the total is 31 + 21 + 21 = 73 beads. Those counts are in units, not in chart squares, so do not assume your bead count equals the number of grid cells.

RAW in Krazy Stitcher

Krazy Stitcher includes RAW as its own stitch type, shown as a square grid with cross-stitch visual guides. Use it to plan color placement, and use the Counts tool to see how many beads of each color the pattern lists. Because unit-based counting can differ from the grid, check the first row of your real piece against the chart before buying beads for a large project. The Size tool gives the finished dimensions from the bead sizes in the app’s table.

Embellishing RAW

RAW is often a base layer for decoration. Beads added on top of the units, bezels around cabochons and picot edges all sit on the stitched fabric, and the open structure gives the thread several places to anchor.

Common mistakes

• Losing the thread path. If a unit looks twisted, the thread went through a bead in the wrong direction. Unpick to the last correct unit.
• Pulling too tight. Tight thread makes the fabric stiff and the units distort. It should drape.
• Using too long a thread. A long thread tangles easily through the multiple passes; work about an arm’s length and add new thread by weaving in.
• Not testing a swatch. Make a small patch to check bead, thread and tension before a full piece.

If you are weighing RAW against other stitches, Loom vs Off-Loom Beading Techniques compares them, and Cubic RAW and 3D Bead Stitching takes RAW into three dimensions. For a lacier alternative, see Netting Stitch.