When you are picking up the first two rows of beads in flat even count peyote stitch, make sure that you check the pattern before you pick up the beads. You want to find the side of the pattern where the first bead of Row 1 and the first bead of Row 3 lie directly on top of one another. Then start picking up your beads on the OPPOSITE side of the pattern.
You work this way because when you pick up the first bead of Row 3, your beadwork will form a little “t” shape. If you start picking up beads on the wrong side of the graph, your beads will not line up properly and your pattern will be wrong.