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Learn How to Knit with Beads with this Fun Book

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knit one, bead too

Helen is getting this one.

This week’s giveaway is a book all about embellishing your knitting with beads. Knit One, Bead Too by Judith Durant is the perfect book to get you started using beads in your knitting, because it covers all the techniques you need to know, offers plenty of examples for how to use beads as a design element and has 15 patterns (some of which you can find on Ravelry) using a variety of techniques on a range of projects, from bags to pillows to a gorgeous wedding stole.

This book really is a one-stop source for everything you need to know about adding beads to your knitting, so if that’s a technique you want to try or something you’d like to do more of, you’re going to want to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win it.

Leave a comment before the end of the day Sunday, Aug. 6, and I’ll pick a winner at random. I’d love to know if you’ve ever used beads in your knitting before. I have a couple of times and it’s lovely but not something I think to do very often.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

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Comments

  1. Yes I have used beads in knitting.
    Stunning effect.
    It’s my birthday…Hope I win!

  2. I love adding beads to my knitting. I have added beads to shawls, scarves, and fingerless mitts. I think this book will be very helpful. Thank you.

  5. I have the beads, I knit, I just never had the courage to do it. One day I will. I saw Lily Chin doing that once on TV and it looked pretty easy. But then, Lily would make anything look easy.

  6. I started adding beads to my knitting after I spotted a woman knitting with beads on the bus to work.

  7. I’ve knitted a beaded hairband for my daughter, but would like to be more adventurous in my beaded knitting!

  9. I’ve tried to knit with beads without instruction and wasn’t successful. I definitely need to learn the technique. I would love to have this book.

  13. I’ve taught a class on knitting a beaded scarf. The beads were located on the scarf ends and create a godet affect. The scarf was knit in two pieces and grafted at the center. I’d love to learn more techniques!

  14. Oh, I would LOVE to get this book! I’ve been planning to learn how to knit with beads for several months now. I have a scarf project and a shawl project that I plan to knit with beads.

  15. I have used beads to decorate my traditional clothing. I would love to learn how to use beads when I knit.

  17. I have not knitted with beads, but it looks so pretty and fun. I would like to learn how and this book would be a great tool to help me with that. Thanks

  19. I haven’t used beads………..kind of a place that angels fear to tread. This might push me over the starting line;)

    from ‘neath the bright blue skies of VT,
    the Vermonster

  20. I have never used beads in my knitting or crocheting, but would love to one of these days. The past three years I have been busy knitting and crocheting baby items for my one daughter and now I’m back doing more baby things for my other daughter. It would be wonderful to have a book to teach me from the start how to add beads correctly to an item.

  21. I am also new to beading in my knitting projects and I love the extra glamour they add! It’s not that hard to do after all! This looks like a great resource book!

  22. I am a beginner at knitting. So, I don’t know how to do this. I love the look of beads in sweaters and would like to make a shawl with beads.

  23. Yeah, I added beads to a shawl I was making for a friend. Threading hundreds of beads was a bit of lengthy surprise and I thought I’d understood the placement directions but the beads ended up facing the back of the piece. Obviously I need a smidgen of help before starting again.

  24. I have restrung beads but prefer to use the tiny crochet hook, which I got stuck in my hand one day! Trip to the ER removed it! Then I finished the shawl!

  25. I haven’t yet tried to knit with beads, but would love to try it!
    Thanks, Kim R.

  27. I have tried using beads in one project, but I’m interested in expanding my use of them. Especially in shawls.

  28. oooooh, beads! To date, have not used beads in my knitting. would like to learn. I have one pattern, that I have not started, because of the beads. What a nice looking resource to own! Someday, I’ll start Fragile Heart wrap — do need to figure out the bead parts!

  30. I have never used beads in my knitting, but I would love to learn how! I have two awesome granddaughters who would love some of their knitted Granny gifts to be a little blinged out ????

  31. I haven’t tried knitting with beads, but I’d love to learn. I think beads can be a beautiful addition to knitting. Thanks for this great giveaway!!

  33. I do a lot of bead crochet but haven’t tried knitting with beads yet. It is something I have wanted to try.

  34. I would love this book. I bought a booklet of beaded Christmas ornament patterns a couple of years ago and have played around with one or two of theservice patterns a time or two since purchase. Planned to give them to friends and co-workers as gifts but just haven’t been able to achieve an actual “finished” look. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in your give-away.

  35. I have beads and of course I have yarn. I just have never had the guts to put them together. This book would definitely change that!!

Have you read?

Learn a Flower Bobble Technique to Knit a Fun Shawl

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier. 

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project. 

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible. 

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge. 

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects. 

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy. 

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project. 

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Xandy Peters]