MIT Beads

Yes, I'm back on the math bead kick. This is my truncated cube bead I'm teaching in a couple of weeks. I've been playing with different versions while writing the pattern. I've started to refer to these beads as "MIT beads" because it's been mentioned one has to be a math genius to figure them out. Just for the record, I didn't go to MIT and as far as I know I'm NOT a math genius though I confess I always was extremely good at math and was Mr Howden, my high school math teacher's pet.

I'm sure my dear friend, student and pattern tester Suzanne would have loved to do this bead before she attempted my truncated octahedron which had her tearing her hair out and me rewriting the instructions with step-by-step photos, as the cube is a much easier bead....only six faces to worry about. The thing is these beads are complicated until the construction base 'clicks', then there's a "duh" moment and they get easy but I think that's true with most bead weaving....the first few rows are always the hardest.

I did come up with a new way of constructing the octahedron in my sleep last night....and it will be interesting to see if it works and if it is simpler to follow. It's much harder to illustrate the construction of these three dimensional beads than it is to actually make them, I crank these babies out in about 30 minutes. If you really want to learn how to make them I suggest taking a class as a little instruction goes a LONG way! I'm trying to figure out if I can put together a video tutorial on my own....or if I'll need help. Once all the pattern glitches are worked out the patterns and kits will be available at my Artfire store. If you're one of my students reading this.....I do have a few kits for the colorways you see here.