This design was a 2015 crochet award finalist.

Sweet Almonds is a five-pattern set. Combining three special stitches, two bead types, and three crochet beading techniques creates its fancy effects.

I think of these stitches as “jewelry quality” because they don’t have an obvious wrong side. They also drape with more symmetry and less unintended twisting than many stitches I’ve used for jewelry.

My original goal for the necklace was to crochet with oblong-shaped beads so that no stitch strands cover them. To keep the beading simple, all beads are strung onto the yarn or thread before crocheting, even for what I call “super-hoisting.”

The four bracelets are different blends of Pearlpuff, Pillowpuff, and Bow Tie Picot stitches. They use at least one of three beading methods.

Pattern includes a crocheted clasp, or you could use the yarn ends to attach a metal jewelry fastener instead.
Thanks to the crocheted clasps, a set of bracelets can be linked up to create a new necklace—my favorite option! Or, just make a bracelet longer for a headband, wrapped bracelet, necklace, or pendant cord.

Skill Level: Mixed (Easy, Intermediate, and Experienced). Puffpearl is Easy; Pillowpuff and Bow Tie Picot are Intermediate. Adding beads can make any stitch more challenging, depending on the compatibility of bead (its weight and hole size), beading method, thread/yarn, hook size, and stitch gauge. There’s a Helpful Resources sidebar in the pattern.

After following these patterns you will know (if you didn’t already):

• How to crochet these jewelry stitches: Bow Tie Picots, Pillowpuffs, and Puffpearls.
• How to crochet jewelry clasps that are adjustable and self-reinforcing.
• How to use three bead crochet methods for five jewelry cord designs.
• How to coordinate bead sizes and shapes with stitches, thread types, and hook sizes.

Finished Dimensions measured end to end, unclasped:
Bracelet pattern instructions are for a finished length of a standard 7”-7.5” bracelet. My finished necklace lengths of 22” (pink beads) and 36” (green beads) are based on the number of usable oblong beads in one package.These are foundation-row cords: just keep going until the bracelet or necklace is as long as you wish.

Materials List
Depending on the beads used, a thread or yarn ranging from Size #5 (“fingering/sock wt.”) to Size #10 (some “lace wt.”) works great.

Details are for Silver & Pink Set with changes for the Brown & Green Set in italics:
Thread: Katia Syros (45% Polyester, 28% Cotton, 27% Acrylic; 306yd/280m per 1.75oz/50g ball), color #75 (silver), much less than one ball. About this thread size: This is a Size #5 crochet thread, equivalent in thickness to CYC #1 Super Fine Weight yarn, a.k.a. “fingering” or “sock” weight {UK & AUS 3 Ply or 4 Ply}.

Brown & Green Set: I used Handy Hands Lizbeth Size #10 cotton thread instead, because a size #5 was too thick to fit through the holes of the green seed beads when super-hoisting. (See Beads below.)

Crochet Hooks: 2.25 mm for crocheting, and a size .75 mm steel crochet hook or small enough size that works for “super-hoisting” your choice of beads with your thread (see Special Stitches section below). Hook sizes are not standardized across brands, so it’s best to go by the mm. size.

Brown & Green Set: I used a Boye 1.65mm (size #7) steel crochet hook instead, because I worked with a thinner thread size (see Thread above.) This size falls between the 1.5 mm and 1.75 mm of most other brands. Feel free to use the size that works the best for you to comfortably crochet fairly tight.

Beads Used for Necklace: It’s wise to string on more beads than you’ll need.
Bead Gallery 10-inch strand (14 usable beads) of 8X16mm ‘Twist Cats Eye Pink Glass’ (style #55692, MSKU #10401972), and 28 silver-lined colorless glass large seed beads (a.k.a. E-beads, size 6/0 or 6º).
Brown & Green Set: I used 29 African trade beads (approx. 10X16 mm), and 100 small-holed size 6º seed beads from Twisted Sister (item # TS-7283.12 “Translucent Olive Gold Liner”). These seed beads required a thinner thread size (see Thread above.)
Beads Used for Bracelets:
Up to 75 large Japanese seed beads per bracelet, see each pattern (a.k.a. Miyuki, E-beads, size 6/0 or 6º): ‘hot pink lined crystal AB Miyuki’ (item #6-9355-100; UPC 7-9052499661-2).
Brown & Green Set: see Necklace.

A beading needle or your preferred bead stringing tool.

Pattern abbreviations are kept to a minimum. International UK/AUS equivalents to American measurements, thread weights, and stitch terms are provided in brackets below.