SAMPLE SWATCH OF KNITTING WITH BEADS

By Betty Salpeker

String 64 beads on your swatch yarn. (8 more beads will be needed but not strung.)

Cast on 23 stitches.

Knit 4 rows.

Purl 1 row.

Each row from now to the last three or four rows will begin and end with K 3.  To keep selvedges neat, begin each row with K1 tbl (through back loop) and end each row with sl 1 wyif (with yarn in front).

Each bead row will use 8 beads, separated from each other by one unbeaded stitch and separated from the garter stitch borders by one unbeaded stitch.

Each bead row should also be separated from other bead rows by a few rows of unbeaded knitting in stockinette stitch, reverse stockinette stitch, or garter stitch as appropriate for the technique used in the bead row.

Bead Row 1 -- Bead on right leg of untwisted stockinette stitch.

            With right leg of old stitch in front on left needle (ln), insert right needle

(rn) in front leg, push bead through old stitch while making new stitch.  Keep bead on right leg of stitch while working it in the next row.

Bead Row 2 – Bead on horizontal strand over slipped untwisted stockinette stitch.

            Wyif, slip stitch purlwise from ln to rn.  Slide bead all the way up to knitting.

            K next stitch.

Bead Row 3 – Bead on horizontal strand over slipped twisted stockinette stitch.

            Wyif, slip stitch knitwise from ln to rn.  Slide bead all the way up to knitting.

            K next stitch.   

Bead Row 4 – Bead on horizontal strand between purl stitches, on stockinette stitch background.

Purl the stitch after the 3 K sts for garter stitch border.  Slide bead all the way up to knitting.  P 2, slide bead, and continue across. Work garter stitch border as usual.

Bead Row 5 – Bead on horizontal strand between stitches of reverse stockinette stitch.

Work a couple rows of reverse stockinette stitch on the 17 stitches between garter stitch borders. P 1 (after garter stitch border), slide bead up, P 2, slide bead, continue across to garter stitch border.  Work a couple more rows of reverse stockinette stitch on the 17 stitches.

                                                                                                                        (over)

Bead Row 6 – Bead on horizontal strand between stitches of garter stitch.

Work a ridge of garter stitch on the 17 stitches. The beads will be moved into place on a wrong side (WS) row, as follows:  K1 after garter border, slide bead up to knitting (bead will be on RS, which will be behind the side you’re looking at), K2, slide bead, continue across.  Work another ridge of garter stitch after the bead row.

Bead Row 7 – Bead on left-slanting twisted stockinette stitch.

Work as for bead row 1, pushing bead through old stitch while making new stitch and keeping bead on right leg of stitch.  On following WS row, purl into the back loop of stitches that have beads.  Purl in front loop at usual the stitches that don’t have beads.

Bead Row 8 – Bead on right-slanting twisted stockinette stitch.

Beads are applied on a WS purl row.  Insert needle purl-wise through front loop of stitch and slide bead up to knitting.  While pushing bead through old stitch, wrap the yarn clockwise around the needle instead of the usual counter-clockwise.  For stitches with no beads wrap the yarn counter-clockwise as usual.  On following RS knit row, knit into front loop of all stitches, even though the front loop of the bead stitches will be the left leg of the stitch (the bead will be on that left leg).

Bead Row 9 – Bead on whole stitch pulled through bead.

Put a bead on a crochet hook.  Take the stitch on the ln onto the crochet hook, pull it through the bead.  Replace the stitch (now with the bead on it) back on the ln and knit it.

Knit a couple rows of stockinette stitch, then a couple ridges of garter stitch.  Bind off.  Label each bead row descriptively for future reference.