Tubular Bead Crochet Ropes, the Easy Way!

After I opened my online store for nylon cord, originally meant for my students, I encountered many questions about bead crochet and decided to learn about it in my spare time. First I educated myself with a few books, then took a class making a necklace with single chain crochet - See my earlier blog entry. I also tried to teach myself tubular bead crochet ropes with mixed result as I could never get the first inch to look like it should, so I gave it up and planned to try again at some future time.

The solution arrived when I met a Bay Area jewelry designer and teacher who got so frustrated trying to teach tubular bead crochet to her students that she found a better way. She created a small tool to support the beginning of the crochet tube and came up with a foolproof method. Her small tool, a jig, help stabilize the first few inches of the crochet rope and it make all the difference. She has a patent pending on her jig and method. In the meantime, she gave me a jig and tutorial to try. The tutorial has over 60 closeup color photos and clear instructions.

On my first try, the sample rope was perfect. When I moved on to make a full bangle, a few times I had to undo and redo a row as I had not placed a bead in the right place. If you get careless as I did, you will see it right away as the bead does not move to the right place when working the next row. Here is my first completed bracelet!

It is best to start with 6/0 seed beads and C-Lon Bead Cord (the standard size). The 6/0s are about 4mm in diameter. I started with Miyuki beads from Caravan Beads and mixed different finishes. I worked with 5 color groups of beads, with 80 beads in each group, but had to remove some of the beads as the bracelet was too long. I recommend sizing your bangle before the final stitching of the cord and adding or removing rows if necessary. Mine still ended up a bit large for my wrist. I will size the next one better. One of the color I used is a mix, another two colors used at random to add a bit of spice. Using 5 distinct colors on the first few bracelet is best as it help keep track the crochet stitches. I used one of the new C-Lon Bead Cord color Argentum. One spool has enough yardage to make over 8 bracelets. My focal bead is a piece of coral and the bead ropes are finished with antiqued brass bead caps I got from B'Sue Boutiques.


The crochet starter jig and the tutorial on the CD teaches not only tubular bead crochet but also how to make the bangle bracelet shown above from start to finish. The pdf document on the CD can be downloaded and looked on screen with a pdf reader or it can be printed of course. You will need seed beads size 6 in 5 colors, 2 12mm end caps, a focal bead, 30 feet of 0.5mm bonded nylon cord such as C-Lon Bead Cord, Bonded Nylon #18 or Tuff bead Cord Size 5 to make the bracelet. As to tools you will need a steel crochet hook, a big eye needle to load the bead unto the thread, a mini-clip to hold the loop when taking a break or removing the crochet tube from the jig, a tapestry needle to finish the piece.




The tutorial has in addition information on measurements, optional designs such as an endless ropes, adding findings and suggestions for design changes.

Of course as soon as you master the ropes with 6/0s beads, you can move to smaller seed beads or to random patterns. Here is sample made with seed beads size 8. I used the new C-Lon Fine Weight Bead Cord Tex 135 for easy loading of the beads, and of course smaller crochet hooks. I also found out that the ropes made with Miyuki size 8 seed beads fit perfectly included in one of the silver clasp I carry. It is a 9mm sterling silver kumihimo clasp. Yes, because it is made out of solid silver, it is a bit expensive, but it would be great for a special neckpiece. I will try as soon as I have some spare time to do additional samples and will come back here to post the results. In the meantime, I will return to my usual field of expertise, knotting, micro macrame, Cavandoli knotting, braiding and cord making interspersed by a few other fiber and jewelry techniques to keep me on my toes.

The jig and tutorial is still not widely available, but Randi at StudioDax has agreed to let me offer them for sale. So get one and be on your way to learn this wonderful method to make tubular bead crochet rope, the easy way!

Order the Bead Crochet Rope Starter Jig and Tutorial at www.store.jewelsinfiber/crochet.html

Additional note: I do not usually work with seed beads or haven't really since I was a teenager. I played then with recycled French beads recovered from beaded flowers at cemetery after the wire decayed from exposure to the elements. At the time I made bangle bracelets using an Afghan method or I embroidered seed beads on my jeans, but of course just for fun. I have always admired the work done by beaders with seed beads and the incredible patience it requires! - Marion

C-Lon versus S-Lon

I get many questions about Superlon or S-Lon and the difference between this product and C-Lon.C-Lon first produced the C-Lon Bead Thread in Size D in December 2002. In March 2005 the Super-Lon Beading Thread, a 'new product', was announced by another company.

C-Lon started producing C-Lon Bead Cord in 24 colors, then 32, now 88 and soon 104. Superlon or S-Lon is now producing S-Lon Bead Cord in 65 colors. Some of the color names are different, but the actual colors and quality of the thread seem to match C-Lon exactly. The spools sizes and yardage are different. C-Lon Bead Cord used to have 86 yards per spool, new production has 92 yards. S-Lon Bead Cord 77 yards.

In 2007 C-Lon added the C-Lon Micro Cord, now available in 32 colors. S-Lon in late 2009 announced a new cord called Superlon or S-Lon Micro Cord available in 8 colors. The spool size is different and yardage 10% lower than C-Lon, 287 yards versus 320 yards.

When the S-Lon Bead Cord was announced, I remember questioning the name and wondering if it would the same product as C-Lon, but some of the color names were different so I hoped it would be new colors... When I received my order I was so disappointed as it was the same exact cord in the same exact colors a C-Lon, most likely made in the same exact factory, so a knock-off product... Of course all perfectly legal... just as Starbucks moving next to local espresso bars, large box stores putting smaller stores out of business, and then raising their prices... all part of the great game of competition... but we can choose whom we support.

When I opened the online store in 2006, many of my students could not find bonded nylon in their local bead stores. Only coated wire for stringing beads was easily available. I started the store with C-Lon and then expanded to all the nylons I use in my own work. I do not carry S-Lon nor plan on using it. Should you?

Photo: The spools on the left are the C-Lon Bead Cord. The shorter, plumper spools on the right are the S-Lon Bead Cord. Shorter yardage on S-Lon by 10-12%.

May 18, 2015 Update

C-Lon developed the Tex 400 size starting in 2008 with 24 colors. They have since added new colors in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015. The last 8 new colors of C-Lon Tex 400 arrived in February this year, bringing the collection up to 108 colors.

In May 2015, I received a notice that S-lon has added new colors of Tex 400 bringing their collection to 100 colors. I am not even going to check on their colors as most likely they are the same with some name changes to keep everyone confused. 

May 12, 2020 Update

C-Lon has added more colors in the Fine Weight and Micro sizes, plus they have introduced smaller spools in these two sizes making it more affordable to buy more colors. S-Lon has paired down their color offerings and are stocking less colors than in the past.

Here is what's available at this time - Updated May 2020

116 Colors of C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord - Heavyweight Tex 400 ~ Ø 0.9 mm - 39 yd/36 m
S-Lon - 64 colors - 35 yards per spool

116 Colors of C-Lon Bead Cord  - Standard #18 Size Tex 210 ~ Ø 0.5 mm - 92 yd/84 m
S-Lon - 94 colors - 77 yards per spool

60 Colors of C-Lon Fine Weight Bead Cord - Tex 135 ~ Ø 0.4 mm
Original Spools 136 yd/124 m - New Spools 50 yd/46 m
S-Lon - 20 colors - 118 yards per spool

48 Colors of C-Lon Micro Bead Cord - Tex 70  ~ Ø 0.115 mm
Original Spools 320 yd/293 m - New Spools 100 yd/91 m
S-Lon - 18 colors - 287 yards per spool

36 Colors of C-Lon Bead Thread - Size D - Tex 45 ~ Ø 0.11 mm - 80 yd/73 m
S-Lon - 36 colors - 75 yards per spool

38 Colors of C-Lon Bead Thread - Size AA - Tex 35 ~ Ø 0.09 mm - 75 yd/69 m
S-Lon - 24 colors - 75 yards per spool

August 2022 Update, check this new post for an update comparing the colors across the 2 brands. This new update includes charts showing how the colors intersect. 

Not sure which size you already have or need? Request a sample card at no charge.
Not sure which colors you already have? Send numbered snippets in an envelopewith your name and email address to Marion Jewels in Fiber, PO Box 6776, Chico CA 95928. Keep an exact copy of what you send for later reference. As soon as we get it, we will identify the snippets for you and reply by email. Also check this post on how to identify C-Lon colors.

Workshop and Presentation in Bemidji?

Occasionally a workshop get initiated under unusual circumstances. I came in contact with Dawn, the creator of intricate knotted creations a few years ago, when she was looking for mentor in the art of Cavandoli knotting. Then again when she was looking for thread. We have corresponded by email since. I included some of her beautiful creations in the presentation on 'Cords, Thread and Fiber Jewelry'.

This visual presentation premiered last August to the Bead Society of Northern California. It was received positively and described as a feast for the eyes, or pure 'eye candy'. See August 18, 2009 entry. Initially this presentation was supposed to be all about cord and thread, but when I requested digital images from friends, designers and customers to show the wide span of work being currently created with cord and thread, I got such a wonderful array of images that the presentation was transformed to an incredible array of artwork done in various fiber techniques. I thank everyone who contributed work to the visual presentation and it will be a pleasure to present it again in Fresno, California on March 20, and in Bemidji, Minnesota on March 26. Cord and thread, and the work done with it is a subject I am passionate about!

Last October, somehow in our emails, the subject of teaching came up, and I told Dawn that I would teach anywhere as long as I am invited. Dawn became the local coordinator, organizing the partial funding from the local arts council, Region 2 Arts Council, making this weekend workshop and presentation possible. At the time she told me she was in Minnesota, but I did not think beyond that. We worked on the actual program to create a weekend program during which students would learn a wide range of techniques that would be of interest to fiber artists, jewelers, and bead artists alike.

We set a date, March 26 for the visual presentation and a small trunk show, and March 27 and 28 for the 2-day workshop and we narrowed the program to...

... Cord making, 2-ply and 3-ply cords. 2-ply is easy and very useful for beading and micro macrame as one of the end is folded with no ends of thread sticking out. 3-ply cords can be made with a variety of colors and are fun to make and perfect as finished cords.

... Four-strand kumihimo braiding maru dai-free and disk-free. I taught myself this form of braiding from old nautical books before I had ever heard of kumihimo braiding in the late 70's. I remember meeting Kaethe and Jules Kliot in 1978 at the American Craft Council in San Francisco and when they saw my braids they told me I was doing kumihimo... I bought Jules' book, Kumi Himo (1977, Some Place Publication, Berkeley, Ca). It was my first introduction to traditional Japanese braiding techniques. My second book was Braids by Rodrick Owen - See an earlier bog entry on his presentation. The method I will be teaching is done entirely by hand. Although a bit more challenging to learn than the basic kumihimo braids done with the disk or maru dai, once learned, it is very fast and it creates a beautiful spiral braid.

... The 'Corkscrew Style Whipping' named by one of my student (thank you!), a form of whipping very useful for construction. Often concealed later either by either an end clasp or an ornamental covering made with several fiber technique. This corkscrew whipping is extremely useful when ends of thread need to be hidden and cut.

... Techniques for ending (and beginning) cords and braids, and how to incorporate clasps seamlessly.

... Button and toggles made with beads; loops made with larkshead knots.


... Method for covering over ends and the corkscrew whipping such as a clean whipping, a wrap, square knot sennit and open fender hitching (aka single detached buttonhole hitching) and finally the turk head knots with the introduction to the five-strand turk head knot.

It is an ambitious program, with a lot of techniques to learn. Not all will be aquired and mastered on first exposure, but this program offers many techniques that will be easy to learn for a beginner and many that will be of interest to the experienced artist.

Funding got approved, so now all I need is a flight from San Franciso to Bemidji that fits within the budget or a ride from Fargo or Minneapolis. Who would have believed that soon, I will be on my way to meet Dawn in Bemidji - Wait, where is Bemidji, with a name like this, it should be on a tropical island, but no, I had to google Bemidji, and I found out that it means 'a lake with crossing waters' as the Mississipi River passes through the lake and it is indeed in the Lake area in Northern Minnesota. Oh, yes, now I remember references about Bemidji in John Sanford's books featuring Virgil Flowers! - Marion

The top left picture is one of Dawn's pieces. To see more of her work, go to> Dawn's Creations on Etsy
For more information on the worshop and presentation, go to> Workshop

Cavandoli - What is it? - And who was Tina Cavandoli?

I encountered the term 'Cavandoli' when my work was described as Cavandoli work without truly understanding at first what it described. I later found just a few mentions of Cavandoli describing the knotting technique and attributing its name to a teacher in Italy. So a year or so ago, out of frustration after finding very little little information when I was researching to get ready for a lecture on Cavandoli Knotting at Bead Designer International in the Boston area, I asked one of my sister who lives in Ticino, next to Northern Italy to help me. After searching online, she mentioned right away Elisa Ricci, whom I was already familiar with and a book by Gisella Tamagno Gazzola, called 'Bricco E Cavandoli due favole in punta d'ago/ Bricco and Cavandoli: two fairy tales on a needle'. Amazingly this book was published bilingually, in Italian and English, making it much more accessible as my Italian is not fluent, and within this book I found the answers to my many questions: who was Valentina Cavandoli? In which century did she live? And why was this technique named after her?



Cavandoli is a knotting techniques in which double half hitches are used in a continuous fashion without any loose thread in between the knots. Each double half hitch is done by one thread over another by making two half hitches in sequence. This process creates an incredibly tightly woven like fabric with a 'warp and weft'. By using different colors for the warp and weft, patterns can be achieved by switching the knotting cord with anchor cord and conversely, warp becoming weft and conversely. Cavandoli evolved from Macrame, the ancient Arab technique usually done with openwork (loose thread) for fringes, shawls or table cloth. The term macrame is derived from Arabic for coverlet or Turkish for towel. Elisa Ricci, an eminent Italian historian on lace, is credited for giving the name of 'Cavandoli' to this technique. So let's explore how this come about.

Example of 16th Century Macrame from Old Italian Lace by Elisa Ricci, 1913

I learned from Gisella's book that Valentina Cavandoli was born in 1872 in Reggio Emilia. She became a teacher and with her natural talent, later a headmistress. She took a course in the Montessori method and started a very unique experiment when in 1915 she became in charge of a school for children in need of assistance. Most of them came from families affected by the war or tuberculosis. Tina managed the school 'Casa del Sol' with an attentive and loving attitude and no problems arose. One of the methods she used to obtain such great results was allocating a slip of paper, a token, every evening to each child who had been well behaved. When 10 tokens were obtained, the child received a prize. But when the child was not behaving, he or she had to hand over collected tokens. She also instilled feelings of solidarity and justice by having children who received outside sources of foods or money from relatives and friends share with their friends who did not have any relatives outside the school. The recreational activities within the school included manual tasks. Tina taught the children a technique she had learned from her grandmother Virginia Lamberti who was an expert on macramé, especially the creation of colorful pieces of textile which became known as 'Cavandoli'.

'Casa del Sol' was truly a unique school. Both boys and girls knotted these pieces of textile that demanded time, attention, precision and discipline. They would have to apply basic math to copy patterns. The objects they created were sold in markets organized by the school and the money collected was placed in savings for each child. The amount each child would collect would vary, but it would provide them with some money when they left the school. The school had to close in 1936, as the Jewish community who had been its main supporter was facing their own many serious problems. Tina Cavandoli stopped teaching then and moved with one of her student's family. She died in 1969 after receiving the Italian gold medal 'on behalf of Public Teaching'.



Gisella Tamagno Gazzola's book shows the type of work the children did in Casa del Sol. It is very similar to work I have seen in books such as The Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Rope Work by Raoul Graumont and John Hensel, 1939 or the DMC Library Book Macrame, 1971.

A section of Gisella's book is dedicated to the actual technique with a well illustrated sequence showing how to knot the two-color version of Cavandoli Knotting.

Grazie Mille, Gisella, for filling in this part of the puzzle with your research of Tina Cavandoli's life.

Note: The artists I know, including myself, who have pursued this slow and intricate creation of Cavandoli knotted work, have often pioneered methods and personal approach to this art form surpassing the limitation of working with two colors and the two dimensional fabric this method tends to create.

Crown Knotting, an Alternate Method for Knotting between Beads

Crown knotting or the crown knot sennit is an elegant solution for stringing larger hole beads and keeping them from touching each other. The crown knots have many advantages over traditional bead stringing techniques. The knots are completely symmetrical. They are easier to keep snug against the beads and are well suited for stringing beads with large holes or uneven holes as the ratio between the cord going through the beads and the actual size of the knot is much larger than with overhand knots or other techniques






This workshop premiered at BABE in November 2009 in Oakland, CA. For those not familiar with BABE, it is a bead show in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza, offering workshops and classes. It will teach how to tie a 4-strand crown knots with the use of a kumihimo disk, a method that makes this process much easier to learn and master. The class project will integrate the clasp with a button and loop seamlessly with no loose thread or thread ends remaining.

I really enjoy coming up with new methods making knotting techniques easier to teach and to learn. It must be the teacher and technician in me. Sometimes everything clicks just the right way. In this instance the addition of a tool makes the task easier. So it will be a pleasure to share this new way to tie this ancient knot and of course the many subtleties creating a closure out of the beginning and endings.

More > www.beadextravaganza.com or > Crown Knot Workshop

September 2011: It's this time of the year again. This will be my third time around teaching Crown Knotting at BABE. This time I will have two assistants - what a luxury! Plan on coming for the workshop on Friday, going to the show Saturday or Sunday or taking more workshops offered by many other talented artists from all over the country. Hope to see you there! ~ Marion

Update November, 2016

This class is now available as a kit. I spent time creating a new manual that cover everything that was taught in the class plus more with lots of pictures, and illustrations. The manual has over 40 pictures and diagrams. –> Crown Knotting & Fiber Endings Bracelet Kit

New Book on Micro Macrame by Annika deGroot

One of the wonder the internet is the open flow of communication. I found out about this book through questions received by email from customers about the Tuff Bead Cord especially the Size 3. I ordered the book, and found to my surprise my online store listed in the resource page.

"Micro-Macramé 30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords' is a paperback book, written by Annika deGroot, published by St. Martin Griffin. The 144 pages are 10.8 by 8.5 inches. It is in full color throughout.

The book has 30 projects to choose from, a page on beads, a section of cords, tools and a creative way to make a padded knotting board. Many Europeans, for example, prefer working with hard pillows similar to the ones used for bobbin lace rather than traditional macrame boards. I use an easel as I prefer to work vertically to save myself from back and neck pain. Annika de Groot also has a section on setting a cabochon by gluing it to a piece of ultrasuede and stitching beads around it. The photos used in the knot section are clear, most of the basic knots are shown with some naming variation such as calling the standard square knot a flat knot. A flat knot as far as I know is a square knot without its central cords or inner cords. Terminology is not very consistent in the world of knots, as different traditions mingle. In addition it has a tip section, a resource page and an index. Several of the resources listed are wholesale only.


The 30 beaded designs include good projects for beginners at micro macrame in the macrame lace tradition, with lots of loose thread between the knots filled with seed beads and crystal bead such as Swarovski. The list of materials for each project names the actual colors and brand names of the cord. Many ask for Tuff Bead Cord in size 3 and 5. Two ask for C-Lon Bead Cord, 4 Conso and 2 Stringth, a sub-name of the Tuff Bead Cord packaged by Rio Grande. Colors and brand name of course can be easily changed as all Nylon #18 and C-lon Bead Cord can be used for any of the projects other than those requiring Tuff Bead Cord Size 3, a different thread diameter.


Many of the designs in Annika's book have a vintage feel reminiscent of the Victorian era, similar in style to Marie Le Sueur's book. Both books are focused on macrame lace, Marie Le Sueur's is in French, a big disadvantage for anyone not well versed in 'la belle langue'. See April 2008 post on Marie's book. The advantage of macrame lace, with its many beads is the speed at which many of the designs can be done, but of course speed is a relative notion. For beginners, knots can be challenging, but of course one must start somewhere. Whereas for professionals like myself or 'power knotters' a term coined I believe by Kris Buchanan, knots seem just like keys on a piano to a concert pianist.


Most projects seem self-evident by just looking at the step by step pictures, at least for me, but please understand that I have not actually done any of the projects nor carefully read any of the instructions.

Visit Annika's website and see if this is a style of micro macrame you want to explore. She has a free download of one of the design in the book, a great feature before buying the book. Then if so inclined, you can buy it right on her site.

Annika's website: http://www.annikadegroot.com

A Jaunt in the Crochet World

Julie's Class Project
Bead Crochet with D&E Nylon #18 Taupe, Various Beads and Tassels

After starting the online supply store with thread for my students, I got a lot of questions regarding bead crochet for which I didn't have any ready answer. I got a few books, played around with a few concepts such as crochet beaded ropes, but never finished a piece as most required a lot stringing ahead of time and when I experiment I often just try a few inches. So when one of my friend, Julie Goodenough, who teaches crochet came to pick up some spools of D&E for her class, I signed up.

Julie's project consisted of stringing beads one strand at a time, single bead crochet, joining the strands in a single bead crochet cording and ending the thread with a few beads. She shepherded us, her students, effortlessly through the project, spending extra time with the ones just learning to crochet for the first time. Her instructions were nice and clear. Most of us finished the neckpiece, sometimes with the help of a another student. I had extra time, so I added tassels for individualization.

Later in my studio, I decided to continue with the individualization of the process I had learned in Julie's class. I added other techniques I am more familiar with such as cordmaking and knotting, and made several pieces with turquoise chunks I had in my drawers. I found that I preferred C-Lon Bead Cord for this process over the softer D&E. The heavier bond of the C-Lon adds a bit of body to the single chain crochet, so you see, brand preference is individual. Julie said she will give C-Lon another try. My final decision is always all about color.

'Turquoise Crochet Neckpiece I'
Turquoise Nuggets, Turquoise Donut and Jade Toggle and Loops, C-Lon Bead Cord Bronze & Olive. Techniques used: Single Bead Crochet, Cordmaking, Knotting.
Neckpiece can be worn short, without the extender, or at adjustable length.

The "Turquoise Crochet Neckpiece III' (shown above on the right) has the same description as the piece above with Black Onyx instead of Jade and C-Lon Bead Cord Experimental Color #12, a possible future color, we will see... I sold the 'Turquoise Crochet Neckpiece II' at my last show before it was photographed, but 'Turquoise Crochet Neckpiece IV' is being work on as we speak.

If you are around the San Francisco Bay Area, take a class with Julie and visit her at one of her shows to see some of her beautiful pieces. Her classes are worthwhile and fun. Her jewelry pieces have very unusual combination of beads creating exotic and fresh compositions. In addition she also make purses, scarves and hats. Her motto is after all: 'Only the best is Goodenough...' So visit her website: http://www.juliegoodenough.com/index.html