Herringbone bead stitch forms a pattern where the beads join in a V shape similar to the central spine of a fish.
There are several different versions including flat herringbone bead stitch, tubular herringbone bead stitch (this tutorial), twisted tubular herringbone stitch and circular herringbone stitch.
Herringbone bead stitch is also sometimes known as Ndebele stitch after the African tribe that specializes in the stitch.
Knots are important in beadwork and other jewelry making such as bead stringing to secure thread and cord or can be used decoratively as in macrame jewelry or Chinese
knotting.
In beadwork, knots are often used when adding or securing
thread. The type of knots used vary depending on the bead stitch you are using,
the type of thread and the bead sizes. Using the right knot and making it
correctly can help prevent your thread from unraveling and make your beadwork
last longer.
The details of how I reclaimed, cleaned and readied these antique steel beads is a story for another post. This one provides the details of the brick stitch fringe earrings, mostly so I can make another pair in case I lose the information that I scratched out on a sticky note.