It’s August already – the last full month of Summer. Before long September will arrive, bringing with it a whole new rhythm of busy days. Sometimes I wonder… can life really get any busier?
I don’t know about you, but I already feel busy enough.
It has been a wonderful month. I spent some quality time with Beth and we went walking at Neck Point Park. It is my favourite park in Nanaimo. We have been going there for over 30 years, even before it became an official park. We would walk, picnic on the cliffs and explore the beaches. It was a haven from life’s chaos, no matter what time of day we visited.
I have also spent a fair amount of time knitting the samples for my fall classes. They are finally coming together, and I’m looking forward to sharing them with you next week.
Threads of Colour – August Square is Live
Blackberry season came early this year. It has been so hot and so dry – the berries have ripened early and don’t have quite their usual texture and juiciness. But they are still beautiful and their colour is still ripe and vibrant. The blackberries were the inspiration for this month blanket square.
Purple berries on a Green background inspired the Bead Stripe Square.
This month’s Fancy is pretty Fancy. I went a little off the beaten path for this one. So much so that it actually got its own blog post. See the story here. I was pretty excited when I got this one completed.
As you can see it got the star treatment. Buttons and Beads and a little bit of shimmer from the yarn itself.
If you have never worked with beads before check out this blog post for more information and tutorials. I also think this collar would be beautiful without the beads. It only takes less than 100 m of fingering weight yarn. Got some spare light fingering weight that you want to play with?
Whats Next for our Blanket
Well I have decided what I want to do with my squares. I hope that you like this idea, if not, I will be sharing other options, but I think I have pretty much figured out what I want. Even with that I have two options. I do love options.
With either option I will be working on the diagonal.
AI assist adding the navy blocks to the 4 voids for clarity.
With this option I will have to knit a lot of plain squares. I am using Navy as my edging/finishing colour. If I went this way every patterned square would stand out for the beauty it is with the navy as the backdrop. Knitting a lot of plain squares is a bit of a deterrent for me. I get bored easily. On the other hand, they would make excellent tv knitting.
This is the option I am leaning towards. I would have to knit quite a few doubles of the patterned squares or design more of the squares themselves to make the blanket as big as I like. With the diagonal as well I particularly like the cut off corners. It makes for a more interesting shape. If I go for the diagonal layout I think that I might make my blanket a square.
I really like the diagonal layouts. They are unexpected, almost more quilt like. They seem to offer more interest than the straight up and down layouts.
How to Knit the Triangular Filler
Working with a worsted yarn and 4.5mm US#6 needle, cast-on 2 sts.
Turn work, K1, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
Turn work, K1, M1, K1, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
Turn work, K1, M1, K3, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
Turn work, K1, M1, K5, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
You can see the progression developing. Each time you start a new RS row there will be 2 stitches more between the M1’s. Continue in this way until there are 56 sts in your triangle. Bind-off.
Triangles will need to be blocked.
How to Knit the Diagonal Filler – solid block garter stitch
If you are interested in creating the solid block fillers. Work the filler triangle, but after increasing to 56 sts – Knit 2 rows – start decreasing.
K1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 – 2 stitches decreased. Turn work – knit back
Continue in decreasing pattern until you have 2 sts left.
Bind-off and block to size.
I’ll continue experimenting with finishing ideas for the blanket over the next month, and I’ll be back in September with another square – and another possibility for bringing the blanket together. Until then enjoy these last weeks of Summer.
I love working with beads in my knitting. I try to add them to lace knitting at every opportunity. These are a few of my favourite pieces. They each have a story.
Some, like the beaded lace hat, Galadriel’s Gift, I have knit multiple times. The painted circular shawl is the Garden Gate Shawl, showing my favourite pictures of one of my painted pieces. The Shetland Fascinator, the little lace shawl, has the prettiest little beaded tassels.
Rhiannon’s Wrap, the purple shawl, is the most beautiful thing that I ever knit, that never won a prize. A story for another day. I never wrote a pattern for this large version. But there is a pattern for a smaller version, the link is attached to the beaded tassel photo in another gallery in this post.
And Covid Be Damned – The Impulsive Shawl – rainbow, bees, butterfly’s and beads – there are so many ways to add beads.
If you want to know more about the pictures below click on the picture. Some of them are linked to patterns.
But when I discovered bead knitting (beads knit into every stitch) I thought that here was a pinnacle of achievement. I have been working towards that pinnacle every since. My inspiration and resolution just got a big boost.
Treasure
I was in Victoria not too long ago, spending some quality granny time looking after my Grandson. As he is in school I had some time to wander around during the day. I visited family, met up with a friend and got myself into trouble of the best kind.
My daughter lives close to a wonderful little second hand store. I have been there a few times but this last time I found something I had never seen in real life, not outside of a museum. I have seen pictures in books or magazine articles – I found a small, exquisite, circular knit, beaded bag!
I did not buy it immediately. I went back to my daughter’s and slept on it, as it was not cheap. It was not useful and I wanted it. So I didn’t do much sleeping! I kept thinking and thinking and in the morning rushed back to the store and looked at it again. Who was I kidding – it was mine!
It is tiny, only 3 inches across and about 2 and 1/2 inches high, maybe three inches high if you include the closure. But it is perfect. A perfect little coin purse.
Kid Leather lined, designed to sit upright on a table, lavender cotton lace top and a beautiful, twisted silk cord… And the BEAD work!
Micro Bead Knit bag with Pink and Yellow and roses, deep green leaves and the bottom is a beautiful spiraling bottom, in a leaf and bud pattern. There is just 1 loose bead, you can see it resting in the center of the bottom of the bag. For its age it is in great shape!
This bag is roughly dated to the 1920’s and 30’s and unlike most beaded bags, which were designed only to hang this bag was designed to sit on the table and hold a few essentials, a bit of “mad” money, a compact perhaps, just the necessities necessary for a evening on the town.
These bags were mostly knit in Europe at this time. I can see a woman in a garret apartment in Paris madly knitting away and creating a bag for her month’s wages. I have knit with beads, a lot. But knitting circularly with such fine thread and micro beads… it boggles the mind.
My other beaded treasure was a gift from a customer, someone who wanted the bag saved and appreciated. I call it the Napier-Hemy bag to reflect the name of the original owners. This bag came to me in pretty rough shape. It is losing beads and had started to fall apart. But it is still beautiful. The work that went into such creations. The beads are smaller in this bag than in my new treasure. That allows for greater detail in the design. The colours are stronger too – less light exposure perhaps.
You might have noticed that I have been creating a few things with a tiny circular cast-on. lately I am playing with a crazy idea – I think I want to try knitting a small bag like this one.
I won’t knit my bag with such tiny beads, I am thinking of size 8/0’s and then of course what kind of pattern do I want to tackle with my beads? It can’t be too complex – I am not totally insane.
So Many Styles of Working with Beads
I am not without some experience in working with beads. I have tried a great many different beading techniques over the years. I have knit quite a few other beaded bags. Or shawls and tassels with beaded details. Beaded bracelets as well. I could incorporate aspects of these into a circular bead knit bag.
Beaded Mesh – Knitting with Beads
The yarn is BC Garn Tussah Tweed Silk
This is the Victorian Beaded Mesh Bag. It is a lot of beads and not quite so much knitting. But is was the start of my fascination with beads and beaded bags in particular.
I also designed a scarf, Victorian Beaded Mesh Scarf to co-ordinate with the bag. It is a little short scarf with beads at both ends. I have just started knitting myself a new version.
Being a small piece, knit in two pieces and grafted – it knits up relatively quickly and gives a great finish! It is also fun to wear!
I am making myself a new version just long enough to tie around my neck. You can see it’s progress in the pictures above.
You can use beads in so many ways in your knits! Below are just a few. Some of these are just pretty pictures of my work (well, I think they are pretty). If you want to know more about the pictures below click on the picture. Some of them are linked to patterns.
Just in case you want to be crazy too! Here is some information on different styles of working with beads in your knitting.
Beading Techniques:
Placed while Knitting – knitting with beads – beads are placed in pattern, but not creating a solid beaded surface
This technique is the most commonly used technique in modern knitting. A bead is carefully placed on a stitch as your knit. It can be placed before or after the stitch has been worked. When you place the bead determines which row it sits on.
The bead is placed with a small crochet hook or beading tool. The size of the hook is determined by the weight of the yarn and the size of the hole in the bead. I have a small collection of hooks from a .60mm to a 1.25mm. I always try to use the biggest hook possible, but some beads, especially the ones with the beautiful finishes have smaller holes.
.60mm hook with 8/0 bead – hook is ready to pick-up the stitchpicking up the stitchbead has been slipped onto the ststitch is ready to be worked
This technique allows you to place beads exactly where you want them as you knit. It requires a very small crochet hook – 0.6mm – 0.75mm most commonly (bead holes can vary, sometimes a bigger hook will work). Pick up a bead with the tip of your crochet hook, use the crochet hook to remove the next stitch from the left hand needle and then slide the bead down the hook and onto the stitch, return the stitch to the left hand needle and then work the stitch.
Beading Techniques: Pre-Strung Beads
Three beading techniques requiring pre-strung beads that I use; beaded long-tail cast-on, beads between purl stitches and knitted in beads. These are all pre-strung beads, easiest in one colour, more complicated with several colours.
Notes on Pre-stringing beads: All three of these techniques require that the beads be strung onto your yarn before you start knitting. The first time that you try knitting a pattern with beads I recommend that you work a pattern with knitted in beads, keep the pattern simple. A small repeat something that mistakes won’t show as much or will be easily fixed. That way as long as you have enough beads there won’t be any problem with beads not being strung in the right order. This is the simplest way of learning.
After the first time you will be able to decide if you want to knit in a coloured pattern. When working a coloured pattern the beads must be strung in the correct order. In order to do this you string the beads in the reverse order that they are being knit. The first bead knit is the last bead strung. Flip your chart upside down and use the reverse chart for the bead stringing order.
Pre-stringing Fixes: If the beads are out of order you will need to cut your yarn and fix the problem. An extra bead can be crushed with pliers. Work very carefully if crushing a bead the sharp edges can cut the yarn.
Beaded long-tail cast-on – beads are pre-strung and I usually bead every stitch or every other stitch, but for special beads, a different shape or size, the beads might be added less frequently. These beads are on the the tail (the length of yarn over your thumb). Start with your slip knot and immediately pull up 1 bead to rest close to the slip knot. *Cast on 1 (2 ) or desired number of stitches and then pull-up another bead.* Repeat from * to * until you have run out of beads and then finish your cast-on – this should give you the right number of stitches for your cast-on, if you had the right number of beads. Always check your count.
Beads between purl stitches – This is the easiest of the pre-strung beading techniques. The beads are pulled up and placed between your purl stitches The purl stitches hold them in place. This technique does not work well between knit stitches as they will fall to the purl side.
Fretwork mitten cuff – beads on the cast-on and beads between stitches in the ribbing.
Bead Knitting – creates a solid beaded surface
Method and rules: Knitted in Beads –
1) When knitting in your bead you will always knit into the back of the stitch on which you wish to place your bead. The twisting of the stitch by knitting through the back of the loop insures that the bead will be locked into place.
2) When the needle is in place in the back of the stitch, pull up the bead up to approx ¼ of an inch away from your knitting. As you knit the stitch, pull the bead through to rest on the front arm of your stitch.
3) The bead will be furthered anchored when the stitch on top of it is also knitted through the back of the loop. This is done when knitting the next row of beads in place. If beading the next row you will automatically twist the stitch with your current bead. If no bead is being knit into place simply knit into the back of the stitch above the bead to finish the anchoring process.
The beads have been knit in and are sitting on twisted stitches. You can see the twist below the beads. The bead have just been pulled through the stitch and the stitch is about to be removed from the LH needle.
If you are looking for more information on Knitting with Beads or Bead Knitting the Mary Thomas Knitting Book is still one of the best. It was originally published in 1936 and most of the modern writing on the topic references back to this book.
A New Project in the Planning Stage
I have collected so many colours of beads over my years of knitting. More than enough to create a completely bead knit bag. I would work it in Handmaiden Lace Silk. I have a good quantity of that to hand. It would certainly be easier to work with than a linen thread – if I could find some of this thread strong and long enough. The yarn for bead work like this has to be strong and long with no knots if I plan on stringing thousands of beads. And I am. Am I crazy?
So am I crazy? Or what? Are you crazy too?
If you are interested in more – I have just been looking at beads for the background. I usually order from Bead F/X in Toronto when I need a larger quantity of beads. They offer design size pkg of beads – approx 9000 beads per 250 grs of 8/0’s. These are the three possible colours that I am considering. Maybe you might want to check our some options for beading your knits.
Crystal AbSparkle PewterLight Steel Blue
I will probably only order two colours, but first I have to decide on my pattern colours and then pick the background! This may require some swatching. I dusted off my swatch instructions for bead knitting. If you are interested in giving it a try, this swatch is a fairly inoffensive way to begin.
Find Rain Shadow on Ravelry or on Etsy, whichever you prefer to shop!
I have been working on a year long Blanket Square project. Threads of Colour – a Year in Squares, each month a different square in a different stitch pattern and each month a “fancy”, a little extra something.
The April Square featured this stitch and once knit, I couldn’t stop thinking about making it up as a shawl. This is the result.
Rain Shadow shawl is a classic top-down triangular shawl with a twist. The Rain Shadow pattern is a ribbing pattern, with YO and bead details. The ribbing pattern and garter st details make the shawl totally reversible. As well, the pattern is mirrored from one side to the other giving extra movement to the lines of the rib. The shawl as shown has been beaded with size 6/0 beads. The beads are optional.
Almost classic – the increases along the sides and center line are a little faster than the average triangle shaping. There are six increases in every 10 rows of pattern.
Rain Shadow is both written and charted.
The yarn is Soft Silk, by BC Garn. A gorgeously blue bourette silk. And the beads are 6/0 beads by Miyuki.
The Wool Room …
… needs organization!
This is where it started, beautiful, clean, and empty!
A lot of organization.
On the up side to all of this – the storage locker is empty!
What kind of organization do you use for your stash – yarn, fabric, any kind of needle craft! Are you a neat and tidy type – or more on the disorganization side of thing. Right now I am strictly disorganized!
I am working on changing that. It is a slow process because knitting is still my priority. I will keep you up to date on my successes and failures!
Like the small stacks of boxes in every room that I am slowly going through! Now that I have time to open and check them. We have taken stacks of boxes to recycle places, the dump and book sales. I have donated some yarn to my daughters stash. So the cull is ongoing and closer to almost complete as opposed to just starting.
We love our new space already. I will show pictures as we clear and tidy each space!
And I am knitting up a storm or two!
Happy Knitting
Lynette
PS – Remember – there is a code included in the June Square download to purchase Rain Shadow from Ravelry at 50% off.
Gorgeous Roses in the Old City Quarter Neighbourhood!
I just picked up the Rain Shadow Shawl from my test knitter Jana. And I am so thrilled with how it turned out.
Rain Shadow Shawl was entirely inspired by the new to me stitch I chose for the April Square. I loved the way the stitches moved. It immediately inspired this triangular shawl.
Look for the pattern to be released at the same time as the June Square. There may be a discount code attached to the Square pattern… just saying.
I haven’t had much time for writing this month. I have been emptying the storage locker and that job is almost complete. There is maybe 3 or 4 loads left. Some to Restore, some to the dump and some home. My challenge, and the biggest job, has been fitting everything into our new, smaller space..
I have a couple of quiet corners in the house, but most still hold boxes of “bits” looking for a home. My tea shelf is organized. But my book shelves are overflowing and the yarn room… the less said the better. I have more yarn than I thought. Maybe I have more yarn than I wanted to think. That might be more accurate. It will take a little while to organize that area.
I am having fun working on the square and fancy for June. How you started a new square recently? I am really looking forward to seeing how everything comes together for us all.
Happy Knitting
Lynette
A very busy bee indeed. Look at the colour of that Rhododendron. I love watching my plants bloom. Especially now, in a new garden.
It is April first and I was scrambling last night to finish the Fancy for this month! Where ever did March go? Though I am rather pleased with both the fancy and the square for this month.
The Square
The stitch pattern for the square was new to me. I found a picture on Pinterest and turned it into a pattern! As a bonus the stitch pattern is reversible. So I designed a shawl to be knit with the same pattern. Yarn and pattern went off to Jana (my test knitter) on Monday! I am very excited to see if my idea works out.
The shawl will be a traditional top down triangle. It will be reversible and have a pointy edging. Stay tuned for updates. I haven’t had any feedback from Jana yet. So everything must be working out. Right!?
I must admit that I had way too much fun designing and then knitting the fancy.
This months Fancy is a mending kit, something that can travel with you. It holds all the necessary tools. It includes a pocket for scissors and mending threads. There is also a little yarn for darning. A sheet for various styles of needles is provided. On the back, a few buttons are sewn, ready for a “button” emergency.
The fancy with knit with non-superwash wool. I embellished a couple of the pieces with small beaded and knit flowers. I also added just a little bit of embroidery for the leaves. Then I fulled the pieces for extra strenght and durability. It was fun because I used my hands to rough up the pieces in the hot water. It was also very therapeutic.
This month will most likely be just as busy. I am working on designs for the next series of classes. And I have this idea of how I want to put my blocks together… More on that later this month.
Kitchen Reno
The kitchen is done. The wool room has been delayed a couple of weeks. I will share before and after pictures this weekend. I will have three days and time to share all the kitchen wonders with you!
In this last week I have been very busy. Thanks in part or whole to GoSadi and the designers I am in contact with there! I have spent the week setting myself up for the three following events/activities! Lots of computer work and learning curves.
First up – the Indie Designer Gift-A-Long – which runs from Nov 20th until Dec 31 on Ravelry. This looks like a lot of fun for all – KALs and CALs, prizes and patterns at a reduced price. I am one of the participating designers and I would love to see you participate.
Second up – Something special with Marly Bird – stay tuned for more!
Third up – The Malabrigo Quickies – I sent off 4 different ideas – lets see what comes back! I most likely won’t hear back from them until early next year. So patience is indicated.
I am also working on next years Classes for Mad About Ewe. I am thinking socks might be a bit too limiting, maybe I will add gloves and mittens. It has been a long time since I taught a basic glove class. Would you like to learn how to knit gloves? I love knitting them. They always fit my hands so much better than anything I can buy from the store.
Maybe something with a beaded cuff? Or are you looking for something more basic?
I love fancy gloves – they are always noticed and they still keep your hands warm.
This morning I went for a walk at Pipers Lagoon and it was a suitably moody West Coast Morning! But there was no wind and no rain so it was a very pleasant walk.
Even the ferry was moody this morning! This little bit of Old Man’s Beard caught my eye, it was so bright against the drab of the bare branches and dried up Rose Hips.
The only knitting I have accomplished this week was to add to my Legend Sweater. I am about to separate the sides for a split hem, one of my favourite finishes.
I don’t think that this version will end up fitting me. I may have made it too small and I have already started another one the next size up. Blocking will really tell the tale, but I am suspicious, it is too close, but maybe not close enough. I am rushing along now just so that I can block it.
I hope that you are having a great weekend! Just as productive as you want it to be and just as lazy as you need it to be!
Gloves have been a fashion statement for centuries.
Gloves have been designed to reveal and conceal. Jewelry was designed and sized to wear over them. Gloves are what we wear to be “seen”!
Gloves for a knitter are a perfect project. They are small projects and therefore very portable, much like socks, the common choice for an easy to travel with project. Best of all, unlike socks, gloves are seen immediately when worn. They can showcase a knitter’s skills and interests.
There are not many garments that we wear that can be said to reflect such diverse aspects of our individual psyches’.
Once you learn how to knit the glove hand – the back, palm, thumb and fingers – then there is the cuff.
When you start to knit gloves, the cuff is kept simple, after all learning all the small points of glove construction are the main points of difference between gloves and mittens. That is where to focus needs to be. There are bridges and forchettes (french for small gusset) in gloves! And fingers, they appear small and fiddly – but a finger only takes about 20min to knit!
I started to knit gloves because, well, I couldn’t find a commercial glove to fit my non standard hand. I have broad palms and short fingers. Gloves that worked for my fingers would never go over my palm, and gloves that fit my palm would leave me with an inch of extra fingers. I always wanted gloves that fit me, therefor I learned to knit gloves.
Once I learned to knit gloves – I started to play with the cuffs of gloves!
What wonderful small places to add so many interesting details! And for a while there was no stopping the experimentation! There were many more ideas tried and quite often ripped out because the idea didn’t work. You can see that beads played a prominent role in my glove designs. Gloves were meant to showcase jewelry and the hands of the people that wore them! And why not knit in our own bling!
Above is a selection of glove possibilities…. A couple of which you will see below as finished designs. The others are waiting to be redesigned or finished.
Below is a selection of Glove patterns that I have designed and either published myself or had published by others.
It has been a while since I designed any gloves. I think that needs to change. I have this new coat, maybe it needs some gloves. I do have two designs that I am working on. One a classic fair-isle and the other a long beaded cuff in lace… They might work! LOL!
I do design a lot of fingerless mittens with fancy cuffs as well. They are generally more popular than full gloves, quicker to knit for sure…. but there is something about a pair of fancy gloves…
We will mostly be using a small crochet hook to add beads to our knits but there is some optional knit in beads in the OakLeaf and Acorn Insert. This downloadable document will give you some basic information on working with beads.
The Oakleaf and Acorn insert employs both beads placed with a crochet hook and beads that prestrung and then knit into place. This section is still a month away but I thought that earlier is better than later.
In the Summer I always try to finish up a project for myself. A sweater or vest, something new that I can wear to work.
This year I have at least two things on the go. A light and airy mohair sweater knit with Amitola Brushed by Louise Harding. This is a heavier mohair and silk blend and I am knitting it quite loosely. I love mohair’s loft when the you let the fuzz fill in the stitches. It makes the garment light but still cozy! This sweater is underway and will be knit from sleeve to sleeve. The Amitola has a long, slow stripe and it is showing beautifully. I am barely through 60 grs of the first ball. I think that I will have plenty of yarn. I am knitting on a 6.0mm US #10 – this sweater is knitting up fast!
The Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed yarn is going to take much longer to knit. Right now it is going to be a vest. But I am loving it so much and I think I have enough yarn, so it might turn into a full sweater. I am loving the stitch pattern. Time, as always, will make the final decision. And yardage, where is the rest of the yarn? Somewhere in my stash!
Summer is also when I make tea cozies. They are small and fun and I think I might design a class around a new idea I have.
Last week I bought a new toy. It is designed to hold my phone as I video myself knitting a new technique. You have already seen it at work as I ripped back my last hat!
The weather here is back up to being hot again. So I am looking at small projects as well. Beading something, anything, is always good for hot weather knitting.
I also love to knit shawls in the Summer. Tomorrow I hope to have the Green Man motif ready to show.
Do you have a “colour” ? Something you know you love to knit with. Something that you “lean” towards. Something you sometimes are unaware of. I do. Apparently I wanted a co-ordinating set. LOL!
Don’t they look great together? I guess I will have to finish the gloves sooner rather than later!
Below are some random images of this Summer and Summers past! They are part of my inspiration as I dream up new ideas.
