Making Increases in Herringbone Stitch

Herringbone Stitch (aka Ndebele Stitch) is ideal for making shapes because it lends itself well to increases and decreases. Following from the previous article on normal flat Herringbone Stitch, here we will look at 2 ways of how to increase in Herringbone Stitch.

Herringbone Stitch with Increases

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Term: Paired-Column

There are a few ways on how to increase in Herringbone Stitch.

Here, I will deal with 2 common ways.

But before I get there, just let me introduce a term “paired-column” to help make the explanation easier.

Side Note: The term “paired-column” is not an industry term, as far as I know. But it is a useful vehicle to succinctly describe what is visually, quite simple.

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2 Ways to Increase in Herringbone Stitch

1. Increase WITHIN a paired-column
2. Increase BETWEEN paired-columns

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Increase WITHIN a Paired-Column

I am using only the first paired-column to demonstrate an increase in Herringbone Stitch WITHIN that first paired-column.

Instead of beading just 2 beads as normal, I have included an extra bead (pink). Then just finish that row in normal Herringbone St.

Apologies!
It was either my eyes or the night lighting... but I seem to have a mixed some of my green delicas in with my yellow. So for this demonstration, please just accept the green delicsa as if they were yellow in the instructions below.

The next row, weave Herringbone as normal till you come back to that first paired-column with the extra bead.

Now I include 2 extra (pink) beads between the 2 normal beads. And finish the row as normal.

Note that the extra (pink) beads can now form a new paired-column. On both sides of the pink-paired column, there is only one bead. We will make those 2 single beads into paired-columns as well.

Start new row. But with 2 (yellow) beads going into the new first pink bead.

Work the pair of pink beads as normal Herringbone. Exit unter the 2nd pink bead in the previous row.

Pick up 2 yellows beads and go down through the 2nd single yellow bead from the previous row.

Now you will have two new (yellow) paired-columns on each side of the pink paired-column.

Carry on to the end of row in normal Herringbone Stitch.

Just for the heck of it, I did another row of Herringbone Stitch so that I ended at the side where we did the increases.

Next, we will show how to increase in Herringbone Stitch BETWEEN paired columns …

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Increase BETWEEN Paired-Columns

Carrying on from above, note the arrow which indicates where I am going to effect the increase in Herringbone Stitch between 2 paired-columns.

When you reach the spot where you want the increase, bead on 2 extra (blue) beads. These will sit between 2 existing paired-columns.

Because I am not making anymore increases in this demonstration, just Herringbone Stitch normally to end of row.

You will note that you now have everything as paired-columns. Which means we can just weave the normal Herringbone Stitch if not making anymore increases.

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Additional Note: Increase can be Gradual or Rapid

There are other ways to effect increases. You might also have noticed that with the pink beads (within a paired-column), the increase was more gradual: starting with one bead. While with the blue beads (between paired-columns), the increase was a bit more rapid: started with 2 beads.

The Herringbone Stitch is versatile in creating shapes because you can actually make rapid increases (even with 3 beads at a time) or have more gradual increases.

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