4.4. Peyote "Unit of three"

This stitch is used to decorate handles from fans or rattles.

Its history lies in the holy peyote ceremony, where it was used to decorate the gourd rattles.
That is the reason why this stitch is also called gourd stitch.
The original patterns are a "unit of three".
This is the one I'm using.
The also possible "unit of two" is similair to this one.

Information on the history of peyote you can find here!

With the instruction of how to make a beaded keyring, I'm gonna explain the stitch.

	Here are the things you gonna need.
	First saw the wood (round spar, diameter approx. 12mm), the length you need. Then cut the leather and glue it onto the wood. It should be double the length than the wood, so you can cut fringe.

When the glue has dried (takes about 10 minutes), you thread the needle, make a knot and run the needle through the leather at one end.

Now you have to determine the length of one round, to check out the design.

	Pick up as much beads as it takes exactly to go around the shaft. Remove surplus beads and count. The number of beads has to be divisible by 3. For example, if you end up with 53 beads, another bead should be added to make 54. A third of the total - 18 beads - in this example - must be removed and you can begin with beading.

The thread containing the remaining two-thirds of beads again is wound around the shaft.

The needle passes through the very first bead. The way the needle passes through the beads establishes your working directon, which depends on your being left-handed or right-handed. While holding the beads with the thumb of the other hand next to the very first bead, lightly pull back the thread into the opposite direction to take out any slack in the initial wrapping. You should hold the beads on the thread with your hand, while working in the first four or five new beads to maintain a constant tension.

Now you are ready to take up the first new bead.

	Skipping the next bead of the row, the needle is passed through the following one. But remember to pull the thread taut in the same backward motion as described above. You can see how the new bead is pressing down the skipped bead.
	After a few beads are added by the following sequence of taking up a new bead and skipping a bead on the row, you will quickly notice that three beads will always create a series of diagonal "steps". Only the very first step has only 2 beads, until the row is finished.

Continue in this fashion until you arrive at the last step. Then you pick up the last bead for this row and pass the needle through the two beads lying "on the way".
Now the first step with the 2 beads has three beads, too.

This first circuit has created three rows in one run, but from now on each circuit will produce only one row.

Here you can see the "second circuit" creating the 4th row (you can count 4 beads in the diagonal step). This new bead taken up slips into the "hole" under the very first bead in the 3-step.

Here you can see the pattern growing!

		If the end of the thread is reached, you can do it the same way, as it is described earlier (Lane Stitch)

And now the ending.
I made one or two circuits more, so that the beadwork is a little longer than the shaft.
Now I can make a smooth ending.

The thread comes out of the last bead.	At that point I run the needle outwards through the leather.	That way I take the needle back through the last two beads.
The finished ending.	The finished keyring.

Here are a few examples of peyote beadwork:

(c) Southern Native American Pow Wows	(c) KQ Designs	(c) KQ Designs
(c) Rainer Krenn www.lakota-info.at	(c) Rainer Krenn www.lakota-info.at	(c) Rainer Krenn www.lakota-info.at	(c) Rainer Krenn www.lakota-info.at
Here the keyrings I made as christmas presents in 2004.
This one I made for myself.	I like those colors!	Birthday present for a dear fried of mine	Here is a slightly different version to the former one.
Another variation of one of my favourite patterns.
This lighter cover has crafted by Sandi Brill, Wisconsin - USA		This is the peyote part of my new headdress.	This is the complete headdress.

Here you can download the graph paper to create your own designs.

Spirals descending to the left	Spirals descending to the right