The square stitch is one of the methods used in off loom beading. It is very simple and one i enjoy doing from time to time. It is slower for me than loom beading, but at the same time, you are not left with all those warp threads when you are finished.

Place a bead on your string and tie a loose knot. The only purpose for this bead is to act as an achor. You need it to keep beads from falling off the thread as you place them on. This can be removed later and the tail of string can be worked back up through your finished piece.

On the first row you will put on all your beads at once. The amount is whatever your pattern calls for. So if you pattern has 20 squares in the first row, that how many beads you will place on the string. If you just want to practice, it might be better to use larger beads for more control, until you get the hang of it.

Now the process slows down a bit. You have your first row done. Time to pick up the first bead of your second row. Once you have done this, you will take your needle down the bead directly beside the new bead and bring it back up your first new bead of the second row. Now you are in perfect position for the next bead to add, and to do this you simply keep repeating the process i have shown you for the first bead. The images above are both the same technique of adding a bead. I have just shown it holding the beads vertically or horizontally to try to give you a better idea of how it is done. I find it easier to hold my work in a vertical position but you may not. I hope you have found this tutorial helpful,