Beaded Knitted Cuff (with tutorial)

[justlease]

Beaded Knitted Cuff

Fooling around with some cotton yarn and E beads, I came up with this:

http://www.lisaknitstoo.com/images/beaded_cuff.jpg

It's basically beaded stockinette stitch with garter stitch edges to keep it from rolling and give it some extra texture. It fastens with two small snaps.

For this project you'll need some yarn that's fine enough to string beads on, 49 beads with holes large enough for your yarn to fit through, a wide eyed needle (I used a beading needle that opens up to allow the yarn to slide in, but you could probably use some glue to stiffen the end of your yarn into a point (make sure you let it dry, of course), a couple of snaps, and some #2 or #3 knitting needles


To make:

First you must string your beads on the yarn.  You have to string them in the order that you'll be knitting them.  If you wish to use 2 colors of beads like I did, you would string them on in this order:  

4 silver, 1 blue, 7 silver, 1 blue, 7 silver, 1 blue, 7 silver, 1 blue, 7 silver, 1 blue, 7 silver, 1 blue, 4 silver

Push the beads up onto the yarn.  You won't need them for a while.

Now cast on 13 stitches.

Rows 1-6
Knit across.

Follow the charted pattern below until you have 6 bead diamonds completed.  The way you work the chart is starting in the lower right corner, from right to left.  Remember, each blank square signifies a knit stitch.

After the last diamond is complete, do one row of knit 3, purl 7, knit 3, and then a row of knit across.  

Now knit 6 rows in stockinette stitch with no garter stitch selvedges---this makes a flat tab to attach your snaps to that's less bulky than if you continued with the garter stitch on the edges.  Bind off, and weave in your ends and then sew on your snaps with some thread that matches the color of your yarn.  You're done.  


http://www.lisaknitstoo.com/images/beaded_cuff_grid.jpg


Notes:

*Slipping the beads is easier than it sounds.  When you see a snowflake on the chart, just bring your yarn to the front, slip that stitch onto your right needle as if you were going to purl, then slide the bead down the thread and tight up against your work inbetween the previous knitted stich and the stitch you slipped.  This makes it so the bead is sort of raised up and shows on the front of your work and not the back.  Put your yarn in the back again and proceed.  There's always a knit stitch after you add a bead, as it shows on the chart.

* I have little wrists.  I'm also a fairly loose knitter.  You may want to string on extra beads (following the sequence) in case you do your 6 diamonds and decide you'd like one more before making your end tab.

[Mickey McMickerson]

This is awesome! Thank you for the very helpful and detailed tutorial! (You must have known everyone was going to be clamoring for one anyway  ) I just might have to make this this weekend.

[chrissydot]

wow this is so great, thanks! knitting with beads was always a mystery, thanks thanks!

[justlease]

If either of you decide to try it, I'd love to know if it comes out right.  I've never written down a pattern before, or created a chart, so it'd be nice to know if I didn't explain something right, or made a mistake.  Granted, this one was simple as pie...but you have to start somewhere, right?

[darcidoodle]

That is so beautiful! Thank you for posting the tute. Fabulous idea for a last-minute bday gift for a galpal.

[sgolard]

Wow, how timely!!  I was just asking if knitting with beads is hard.  You make it sound so easy.  Where does one find beads that have a large enough hole?  I can't remember seeing them at the LYS .. although I never looked for them before either. Thanks for the great tutorial!

[justlease]

You can buy big seed beads, called E beads at places like Michaels, AC Moore, even Walmart.  They sell them with the jewelry stuff.

[chrissydot]

so i knitted up my cuff today, and your pattern was very easy to follow..... i had all the supplies laying about, glues the tip pf my cotton yarn to string on my beads... and gave it a go

i used maroon cotton, and clear and dark red e beads

i think it turned out pretty nice, but i either have way bigger wrists than you or knit extraordinarily tight...  because i knitted this on size 3 needles and had to add like 10 more rows of stockinette at the end to get it to go around my wrist... thats my only comment.





thanks so much for the idea and pattern!

[BurningClouds]

have just started to learn how to knit, and i have decided to follow your pattern as a follow up after making my 'learning to knit scarf'!

[justlease]

I think I actually do have fairly skinny wrists, and I am a loose knitter, too.  Also, the yarn you use will affect how many rows you do.  I suppose probably the best thing to do is string on some extra beads at the beginning in case you make all the diamonds and decide you need more...then the beads will be there if you need them.

(goes and edits tutorial)...