Hyper-RAW and Doubled Thread

I came across a photo the other day that gave me a random idea to make a tubular beading component that would both naturally curve and hold its shape. I'm certainly not the first bead artist to try this, but the experience taught me a few things about stitch and thread techniques that I thought I'd share here.

"Hyper-RAW"

My first attempts at this component used tubular peyote, and then the filled net stitch, but neither of these stitches accomplished what I needed for this component. Then I tried cubic right angle weave (CRAW), which was more promising. To make the component thicker, I expanded the thread path to six square sides instead of four, so I was making connected hexagonal prisms instead of connected cubes. Then I varied the sizes of the beads to make it naturally curve, so I was making irregular hexagonal prisms. Finally, I embellished the tops and bottoms of each prism for stability.


So technically, this stitch can be described as Irregular Hexagonal Prism Embellished Right Angle Weave, or IHPERAW. But this is confusing to spell, so I think of it as Hyper-RAW.

Single vs Doubled Thread

I also tried these components with both single-length and doubled-Fireline thread. I'm nearly always a single-thread beader, so the doubled thread was a little disorienting to get used to; I kept thinking that I had more thread left on my needle than I really had! It was also challenging to get the doubled thread through size 15° seed beads more than a few times, so I had to switch down to a size 13 beading needle. I did like how the doubled thread didn't knot itself up while I was weaving; that happens to me all the time with single thread and it drives me crazy.

The difference in the finished components is quite noticeable too. The component on the left was woven with doubled thread, and the component on the right was done in single thread. The beads and thread path are the same for both. Both components conform to a natural curve, but the single-thread version is more flexible.


Here are the same components when pinched. The doubled-thread version is stiff and hardly moves, but the single-thread version will squish!


I'm not yet sure which version I'll use going on from here. If I want the final design to be super stiff, I'll used the doubled-thread version. But I might be able to get away with the single-thread version if I'm not hanging them at an awkward angle.

A Curved Component

I'm happy with how these components curve and hold their shape. If they're continued around in Hyper-RAW, they should form self-supporting beaded circles.


For the curious, you can find the picture that inspired these components here. Yep, they're supposed to be worms. Specifically, a species of worm called C. elegans, a tiny worm the size of a 15° seed bead, which is one of the major model organisms that scientists use to study several subfields of biology, notably neurology, development, and genetics. It was one of the first organisms to have its genome sequenced, and you'll find them in use in hundreds of biology labs all over the world.

You don't often see them in bead-form though ;)

Do you use single thread or doubled thread? Or do you use both? Which one do you like better?