How To: Stringing Beads For Your Knitting!

YouTube and Instructables are invaluable sources for people who need a visual, rather than just a read and do.

Here’s one for knitting with beads that you’ve already pre-strung: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2-YbLvyNCY and another, more in detail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8ib6nyWKQg

But that’s not how I do it. Because I’m backwards, usually reserving “how it’s supposed to be done” for after all else has failed. Yup, I’m a read the instructions last kind of gal.

I don’t pre-string my beads, preferring instead to use a crochet hook and snag the stitch off of the left needle before knitting it, then feeding the bead from the crochet hook onto the stitch, returning it to the left hand needle to be knit as normal. So, the individual yarns aren’t strung through the bead, but the stitch is. Hard to explain, probably impossible to grasp with the way I explained it, so I looked for someone else that would maybe be able to explain this a bit better. And who came to my rescue? Clara Parkes of Knitter’s Review has a wonderful explanation for her “stringing as you go” method.

If spending 30 minutes stringing tiny beads onto yarn doesn’t excite you, fear not. There is another technique that allows you to add the beads as you go.

You’ll need an extremely fine crochet hook — one so fine that the tip will fit through the hole in your bead. Knit until you reach the stitch where you’d like to add the bead.
Pick up the crochet hook, slide one bead onto it, and use it to snag the stitch in question off your left knitting needle.
Slide the bead down from the crochet hook deep onto the yarn loop, then place the loop back on your knitting needle.
The bead is now in place and you can continue knitting.
The major benefit of this technique is that your bead is held very securely. The drawback is that your bead will be positioned vertically in your work, rather than horizontally.

Thanks, Clara, for your wonderful explanation!

Next Pattern:

Once you get past the rush of the holidays, it’s time to focus on yourself and your home and what’s going to make you feel good for the rest of winter. For me, that’s having a homemade blanket in every room. I’m currently working on a granny stitch crochet blanket, but I wanted to share some cozy knit blanket patterns with you in case you’re on the lookout for something great to knit yourself or someone you love.

I have really been enjoying log cabin projects lately because they’re a great way to use stash and I love the connections between knitting and quilting. This log cabin scrap blanket pattern is free from Very Pink, and it includes a video tutorial if you haven’t done log cabin knitting before. It’s worked in garter stitch and has blocks that are connected by borders in a single color.

Speaking of scrap busting (since that’s on my mind all the time, but particularly when New Year’s resolution time rolls around), the Hue Shift Afghan by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence is worked in a huge array of colors in garter stitch mitered squares. The pattern has options for working with sport weight or worsted weight yarn, and the blanket is worked in quarters and then sewn together, but the individual squares in each section are worked off each other for minimal finishing. Get the pattern from Knit Picks.

If you’re looking for an easy pattern that has a lot of texture, this quilted knit throw from Mama in a Stitch is a great choice. It uses chunky yarn in a single color to make a simple knit and purl pattern that looks like diamonds. The designer notes that a lighter colored yarn is helpful for making the stitch pattern stand out, but you can try whatever color you like.

Or go even simpler with the Bella Vita blanket from Christaco Design. This one uses super bulky yarn (or make it a stash buster by holding two strands of worsted weight yarn together). The pattern has a seed stitch border and allover knit and purl pattern, and includes sizes from baby blanket to California king.

If instead you want a project that will challenge you and occupy your mind as well as your needles, try the Aran texture cable afghan knitting pattern from Pattern Professionals. This gorgeous design features panels of cables and other textured stitches, and the pattern is originally form the 1970s. It uses worsted weight yarn and each pattern strip is worked individually and sewn together (though you could combine them into one big panel if you’d rather).

Next Pattern:

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