For Karen, and anyone else who is curious- here's how you add beads to knitting with a crochet hook, rather than stringing them on in advance. This article talks about both methods- scroll down to "Hooking Beads As You Go*, to find good directions and clear drawings.
It's super simple and it'll have you wanting to add beads to everything. The hardest part is finding a hook small enough to go through the centers of the glass beads (which are notoriously inconsistent in their hole diameter)- I use a teeny little hook that was my mother's. It's a metal Size 10 (it's old and current sizes may be calibrated differently), and even that one won't go through all beads, and it's so small that it sometimes takes more than 1 try to get all of the plies pulled through. The effect is worth the effort though.
http://www.knitty.com/issuespring06/FEATseducedbybeads.html
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
You can also use the super floss dental threaders for the beads. It is stiff enough on the ends to work as a needle and folded back catches all the yarn at one time. Thread the bead onto the floss, catch the stitch with the stiffened end, fold a small amount back and pull the bead over the folded part onto the stitch.
That's fascinating- I'm going to have to try that. That would solve both of the problems I have- not being able to fit the hook through the bead, and not getting all of the plies through the hole. Thanks so much.
Now I have to find some super floss dental threaders.
GUM makes the floss thingies - I'm a tatter, and that's how I've gotten beads on really tiny thread. Also, tatters will use the tiny hooks - And I have seen them in Hobby Lobby, down to a 14.
If you want size 15 or 16 - you'll have to order them from Handy Hands or Lacis.
For the floss threaders, See http://www.dentist.net/butler-floss.asp
They are the first item.
Thanks for the link, Jeanne- I really need to give this a shot. It sounds much more efficient than crochet hooks.
Post a Comment