When you create longer bands of beadwork on a loom, your weft thread may begin to run out before you complete your design. When you have about eight to ten inches of weft thread remaining, you should stop and begin a new thread. Here's how.
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1. Pass Back Through the Last Bead
© Chris Franchetti Michaels
After completing one final row of beadwork with the old weft thread, pass the needle beneath the outer warp thread and back through the first bead in the row. Bring the needle up toward you through the beadwork.
2. Pass Under the Next Weft
© Chris Franchetti Michaels
Pass the needle beneath the next weft and above the next warp, as shown. Be careful not to split the existing weft or warp with the needle.
3. Tie a Half Hitch Knot Over the Weft
© Chris Franchetti Michaels
Pull the thread gently taut, and then pass through the same weft again to create a small loop. Pass back through that loop to create a half hitch knot.
4. Pull the Thread Gently Taut
© Chris Franchetti Michaels
Pull the thread taut to tighten the half hitch knot.
5. Pass Through the Next Bead in the Row
© Chris Franchetti Michaels
Pass back through the next bead in the row, moving your needle at a slight diagonal. Be sure to keep the needle above the warp threads.
6. Pass Under the Next Weft and Make Another Knot
© Chris Franchetti Michaels
Pass up beneath the next weft thread, and make another half hitch knot.
7. Keep Weaving-In
Continue passing through one bead at a time, making half hitch knots over wefts along the way, until there are only two beads left in the row.
8. Pass Through the Last Two Beads in the Row
© Chris Franchetti Michaels
Pass through both of the final two beads in the row.
9. Pull the Thread Gently Taut
© Chris Franchetti Michaels
Pull the thread gently taut, and remove the needle. (Do not trim off the thread tail just yet.)
10. Start the New Weft Thread
© Chris Franchetti Michaels
Prepare a new length of weft thread, and thread the needle. Pass through the last two beads in the last row of beadwork, and pull the thread until a 3-inch tail remains at the edge of the beadwork.
You'll now have two thread tails emerging from the same bead: the tail of the old weft thread and the tail of the new one.