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!

If your family is the sort to do a turkey trot for Thanksgiving, or even just to take family pictures, you’ll want to get started knitting up some Turkey Sack Hats with this pattern from Underground Crafter.

The pattern uses super bulky yarn and is rated easy. It’s knit flat but there are a few skills in here around the shaping of the eyes, which includes changing colors, working bobbles and doing a wicked purl 3 together decrease. Twice.

But that’s all in one row, and the rest of it is pretty simple. The beak is worked separately and sewn on, and the side of the hat is stitched up to make it into a hat.

What’s great about this one is that it comes in 10 sizes, ranging from newborn to adult large, so you really can make one for everyone in the family. And because it uses super bulky yarn you can knit a bunch pretty quickly if that’s a thing you’d like to do.

It’s also fun because you could use this base pattern to make different animals or for different holidays. Make it all in orange and stitch on a jack o’lantern face for Halloween, or make a white one that’s a snowman, for example.

In any style this would also be a fun gag gift for that person in your life who has everything or doesn’t want gifts, or if you do a secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange at work or elsewhere.

And make sure whether you’re making it a turkey or some other character that you include the pom poms at the top! They’re just so cure and a great way to add a bit more color to the project, and they’re easy to make. (See also: ways to make a pompom with yarn.)

You can grab the free pattern at the Underground Crafter website.

[Photo: Underground Crafter]

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