Beading for the very beginners: Goat in right angle weave

Today we will make a three-dimensional goat in the technique of right angle weave.

We will need the following materials:

- size 8/0 seed beads of four colors: the main color for the head, neck, body and legs (I made a few goats of different colors; a white one looks pretty good, but for the tutorial I chose seed beads of blue color to get contrastу photos), black color for the eyes and hooves, gray color for the horns and one red bead for the nose;

- a filler for the head and body (there are plenty different fillers: sintepon, holofiber, cotton wool, etc.; you can use any kind of filler you've got available);

- fishing line 0.3 мм (you may use any kind of thread for beadweaving you prefer to work with) and two beading needles.

Please note: this tutorial is of a middle-level difficulty.

The main technique that is used for making the goat is Right Angle Weave (RAW). We use it for making the goat's body and the most of its head.

The goat's legs and neck are made in the technique of Cubic Right Angle Weave (CRAW).

When making the goat's head we also use the elements of tubular peyote stitch.

Start making the goat from its body.

We need to make a rectangular parallelepiped having six faces: two side faces, the upper face (goats's back), the lower face (goat's tummy), the front face (goat's chest) and the back face (goat's rear side).

Either of the two opposite faces are the same. The number of the 4-bead units in the faces are as follows:

- in each side face - 5x3;

- the upper and the lower faces - 5x3;

- the front and the back faces - 3x3.

First, weave a beaded fabric consisting of 5x11 4-bead units.

You can follow this tutorial, it is a very detailed tutorial with step-by-step photos.

After that connect the top and the bottom edges of this beaded fabric together.

To do so follow this tutorial.

Now we've got the base of the goat's body consisting of two side faces, the upper face and the lower face.

Next, weave the front and the back faces of the body. They consist of 3x3 4-bead units each.

Again, follow the second part of this tutorial and at first weave the front face.

Now pass the ends of the line to the opposite side of the body and in the same way make the back face. Weave it till the last two 4-bead units left.

At this stage fill the goat's body with the filler so that it could keep its shape.

Use as much filler as it is needed for the body to get a slightly round shape but at the same time it could still be squeezed.

After that make the last 4-beads units of the back face thus completing the body.

At the next stages we will make the goat's legs, head and the tail.

Now make the legs.

For making them use the technique of Cubic Right Angle Weave (CRAW). You can learn this technique here.

For the base of the each leg choose the corner 4-bead units in the lower face of the body.

All the legs are identical, they consist of three cubes each.

Make the first two cubes out of the main color beads.

In the 3rd cube the upper beads are black. So for the 1st side string one main color bead then one black bead and again one main color bead.

For the 2nd side of the cube string one main color bead and one black bead.

For the 3rd side of the cube string again one main color bead and one black bead.

To complete the 4th side of the cube string one black bead.

In this way make successively one after another all the four goat's legs.

Put the goat's body aside for a while and start making its head.

The base of the head make in the same way as the body. At first weave a beaded fabric consisting of 3x7 4-bead units.

Then using additional beads connect the smaller edges of this beaded fabric together.

After that make the back side of the head consisting of 2x2 4-bead units.

We've got the base of the head. Next we will make its front part using the elements of tubular peyote stitch.

You can learn this beading technique here.

For weaving the front part of the head we will use one end of the line only.

To help you distinguish different rows of beads in the photos I will use the beads of different colors.

But for the real item you should use the beads of the main color.

Start weaving. Pass any end of the line to the front side of the head so that it comes out from the extreme bead of any row edge in direction to the center.

Then string one bead and pass the needle through the next two beads in the edge.

Repeat the last step three more times.

After that pass the needle through the first of the just added beads thus leading the line to the top of the beadwork.

Next, using the technique of tubular peyote stitch make another row placing each new bead between two beads of the previous row.

After that make in the same way three more rows. Together with two previous rows now we've got five peyote stitch rows each consisting of four beads.

Side view at the goat's head at the current stage:

If you use beads of one color those rows look like that:

Now fill the goat's head with the filler.

Use as much filler as it is needed for the head to get a round shape, if you look at it from behind.

The next photo shows the back side of the head.

After that tighten the working line. If you can't do that easily, remove some filler. You can also reduce the spaces between beads passing the line through them and tightening it at the same time.

Next, put a red bead (goat's nose) to the tip of the front side of the head. String that bead and pass the needle through the bead in the last row that is opposite to the bead from which the line comes out at the moment. Be sure the line makes a zigzag.

Tighten the line - the red bead is in its place as the goat's nose.

Now make the neck. Again, use the CRAW technique.

For the base of the neck choose any 4-bead unit that lies at a distance of one 4-bead unit from the back side of the head.

Make one cube.

After that we need to connect the neck to the goat's body. Choose the 4-bead unit that lies in the central axis of the upper face of the body, adjoining the front face of the body.

Connect the neck to that 4-bead unit, using four additional beads. You can learn the technique of connecting the two parts of the CRAW rope together here and here.

The goat is almost completed. But we still need to make its eyes, ears, horns and tail.

The following photos show the scheme of beads to which the eyes, ears and horns are connected.

Look at the goat's head from above and find the central line of 4-bead units.

Distinguish the two 4-bead units from either side of the axis: the 1st one adjoins the back side of the head and the 2nd 4-bead unit lies just in front of the 1st one.

After distinguishing those 4-bead units, mark the beads needed for connecting the following items:

- either horn - to the backside bead of the 1st 4-bead unit (the place is marked with brown color);

- either ear - to the side bead of the 1st 4-bead unit (the place is marked with blue color);

- either eye - into the center of the 2nd 4-bead unit (the place is marked with black color).

So, pass the line through the beads so that it comes out from the side bead of the 2nd 4-bead unit in direction to the back of the goat's head,

string a black bead for the eye and pass the needle through the opposite bead in the same 4-bead unit. Be sure to lead the needle in direction to the back of the goat's head.

Then pass the line through the beads so that it comes out from the side bead of the 1st 4-bead unit,

string 3 beads of the main color,

hold the last stringed bead and pass the needle backwards through one bead.

After that string one bead of the main color

and pass the needle through the same bead in the head from which the line comes out at the moment, but from its opposite side.

Tighten the line. The last four stringed beads have formed the goat's ear.

Now pass the needle through the next bead in the same (1st) 4-bead unit,

string 6 gray beads

and holding the last stringed bead pass the needle backwards through all the other just stringed beads.

Then pass the needle through the same bead in the head from which the line comes out at the moment, but from its opposite side.

Tighten the line. The last six stringed beads have formed the goat's horn.

In the same way make another set of goat's eye, ear and horn on the other side of its head.

The last item we need to make is goat's tail. Pass the line through the beads so that it comes out from the upper bead in the central axis of the back face of the goat's body.