How to Decrease and Increase Brick Stitch

Once you have made a base row using the ladder stitch, add two beads and move the needle under the exposed loop between the second and third base row beads, moving from back to front.

Bring the needle up through the second added bead.

Go down through the first added bead

Come back up through the second bead once more.

Pick up one more bead. Go under the next closest exposed loop, moving from back to front.

Bring the needle back up through this new bead. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 until you reach the end of the row.

Adding Another Row

Once you reach the end of a row, go back through the last bead. Make sure your thread is exiting out of the top of your last bead. Pick up two beads and then move the needle under the exposed loop between the second and third base row beads, moving from back to front, just as you did in step one. Then repeat steps 2, 3, 4 and 5. You may find it easier to constantly turn the pattern so you are always working from right to left.

Increase Brick Stitch

The increase brick stitch works the opposite of the decrease by increasing the number of beads on the end of the row, resulting in an even pattern.

Once you have made a base row using the ladder stitch, pick up two beads and move the needle under the exposed loop between the first and second base row beads, moving from back to front. Bring the needle up through the second added bead and down through the first added bead, then once more through the second bead. Finish the row as demonstrated in the basic brick stitch tutorial.

You may find it easier to turn the pattern so you are always working from right to left. Pick up one bead and bring the needle under the loop of the row of beads below.

Go back through the added bead. The thread should be exiting out of the top of the bead.

Begin the next row by picking up two beads and moving under the exposed loop between the first and second bead from the previous row. Finish the row as demonstrated in the basic brick stitch tutorial.