Work in Progress Tutorial

Okay, I have not been very diligent lately on posting and I forgot that today was Wednesday.  But I do have a tutorial that I have been meaning to post lately.  So here is my work in progress - a tutorial on adding beads as you knit.  Here are two methods for doing it - one with a crochet hook and the other using dental floss.

Placing beads with a crochet hook: 

Knit the stitch indicated and put a bead on the crochet hook. 

Use the hook to remove the stitch just knitted from the right hand needle.

Push the bead from the crochet hook down over the knitted stitch. 

Return this stitch back to the right hand needle and adjust the tension of this stitch.

Placing beads with dental floss:  This is my preferred method.  You can string a bunch of beads at once and don’t have to worry about stabbing yourself with the crochet hook.  You must use the Super Floss that comes in pre-cut lengths with one end being fuzzy.  (I’m told this floss is designed for people with braces.)  Thread beads onto floss.  The fuzzy part will keep them from falling off and I tie a knot around a bead at the long end to keep them from falling off that end. 

Knit the stitch where the bead goes, thread one end of the dental floss through this stitch and remove the stitch from the right needle.

Hold both ends of the dental floss together and push a bead down from the fuzzy part of the floss so that both ends of the dental floss are through the bead. 

Push bead down onto the stitch and replace this stitch back on the right hand needle, pulling it to the correct tension.  Remove the dental floss.

 Of course there is one last way to add beads and that is to string the beads on your yarn.  Then when you want to knit in a bead you move it up to the working yarn next to your stitch.  I did make the Shipwreck Shawl a few years ago and strung 5,000 beads onto the yarn.  It is a beautiful shawl but I don't think I will ever do that again.  You can get a very similar effect with one of these methods.  (If you want the bead to be on a yarn over, then you must string them.  If you are okay with the bead being on the stitch, you can add as you go.)



 Head over to Tami's to see the other great Works in Progress