✨ July Stitch of the Month: How to Crochet with Pony Beads!
- Tiffany
- Jun 29
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 4
Hey friends!
It’s time for another Stitch of the Month in our 2025 Temperature-Sampler Blanket Crochet Along—and this one is a little different (and a whole lot of fun!).
Instead of focusing on a new stitch, July is all about adding texture and sparkle by incorporating pony beads right into your crochet row. If you’ve never tried crocheting with beads before, don’t worry—I’ll walk you through it step by step in the video below, and we’re keeping the stitch itself super simple with just single crochets.
Jump To Pattern Calendar Stitch Card Free Chat Forum In Crochet Club
🧶 Why Pony Beads This Month?
I chose to do something a little different for July because many crocheters have never tried working with beads—and this project is all about learning something new while building a keepsake.
The stitch is kept basic (single crochet) so you can focus on the beadwork technique. It’s great practice and adds a unique section that will stand out beautifully in your finished blanket!
⚠️ Pro Tip Before You Start
Before you attach your yarn, thread your pony beads onto your working yarn. You’ll need 106 beads for the row, which is half the number of stitches in this blanket (total 212 sts per row).
(If your blanket has a different stitch count, just use half that number for your bead count.)
If your yarn is giving you trouble, grab a yarn needle to help you slide those beads on smoothly. And if you’re continuing from the same color yarn as your last row, you’ll want to cut and tie off first so you can load the beads onto your new strand of yarn.
🎯 Placement Tips for Beads
This part is important! When placing your beads, you’ll want to:
Slide a bead forward before inserting your hook into the next stitch.
Yarn over behind the bead so it gets locked into the front of the stitch.
Then finish your single crochet as usual.
I found that when I was looser with my stitches, the beads shifted more and sometimes sat off to the side. But when I pushed the bead to the front and crocheted behind it, they stayed nicely in place and looked much more intentional.
And no, I’m not telling you to crochet tightly—tight tension can mess with your blanket edges. Just guide the beads where you want them and keep your normal rhythm.
Step-By-Step Instructions For Adding Beads For The Month Of July
Abbreviations:
ch / chain
sc / Single Crochet
st(s) / Stitch(es)
This month's stitch pattern is technically a 2-row repeat:
Row 1:
*Add beads to the working yarn BEFORE you attach the yarn to the project.
** Make sure you are looking at the RIGHT/FRONT side of the blanket when you are working a bead row.
Slip Stitch into the first stitch to attach yarn to project.
Ch 1, sc in the first stitch.
Slide the bead over. Sc on the other side of the bead to lock the bead into place.
Make one sc in the next stitch.
Repeat, *slide bead over, single crochet behind the bead, sc in the next st* across row.
Your last st will have a bead. (Total 212 sts)
Row 2: No beads—just a regular single crochet row.
Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across row.
That’s it! It’s a simple rhythm that lets the beads shine without overcomplicating things.
*** HEADS UP: In this picture it looks like I'm looking at the right side of the blanket because the beads are showing. Actually, I have turned my work but because my stitches are being worked to the side of the bead it's causing a loose tension, the beads are able to move. As I started to tighten my tension, push the beads forward, and sc BEHIND THEM, it caused the beads to POP forward and not show or move to the back/wrong side of the blanket.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for the month of July.
Grab Your Free July Calendar Stitch Card!
🎉 I’ve got a FREE resource to help you! Don’t forget to download your
Watch the RIGHT-HANDED VIDEO TUTORIAL for extra added guidance.
Watch the LEFT-HANDED VIDEO TUTORIAL for extra added guidance.
It Might Slow You Down… and That’s OK!
Crocheting with beads naturally slows your pace a bit—and that’s totally fine! This is where I lean on my Maker Pillow from Valari. Get comfy.
💬 Want More Support?
Chat it up FREE in my Crochet Club "Crochet Chat Room"!
This Chat Room is open to the public so you can get the best responses to your
Temperature Blanket Questions and be able to share pictures of your project with
the group! Click the link to get there.
FYI: You will be prompted to sign up for a FREE account so that we know who posted and who left a comment. This helps protect the community AND created friendships. 🤗
You’re always welcome to join us in The Crochet Club!
You’ll get:
Weekly events
Exclusive patterns
Crochet-along challenges
And the most encouraging, fun-loving group of yarnies you could ask for!
📌 What If I Don’t Like the Beads?
You do not have to use beads if they’re not your thing. This is your project—do what brings you joy.
You can:
Work regular single crochet rows for July
Use one of the stitches we’ve done earlier this year
Or try another simple textured stitch that keeps the section cohesive
📚 Catch Up on the Temperature Blanket Series
Here’s a quick list of each video in the series so far:
✅ Project Setup + Temperature Gauge ▶ https://youtu.be/AtWOly1xlFI
🧊 January Stitch of the Month ▶ https://youtu.be/1cLR2CqMys8
💗 February Stitch of the Month ▶ https://youtu.be/Oth2_Wif2J8
🌼 March Stitch of the Month ▶ https://youtu.be/f0akNmUCzBI
🌷 April Stitch of the Month ▶ https://youtu.be/IeMENiYZUHI
🌞 May Stitch of the Month ▶ https://youtu.be/0DbaGCrP-Ec
🍓 June Stitch of the Month ▶ https://youtu.be/qTgeCxKvKxI
✨ July Stitch of the Month (You're here!)
I hope this month’s stitch inspires you to try something new, play with texture, and add a little sparkle to your blanket. If you’ve never crocheted with beads before—now you can say you have!
Happy stitching, and I’ll see you in the August video! 💖
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