I’ve never added beads to a knit project before, and definitely not without pre-stringing them. Plus for some reason I really liked this scarf as soon as I saw it, so I volunteered to test the pattern for Wendi when she posted about it on Ravelry. I had a really fun time knitting it. The pattern repeat is about 40 rows long, but the wrong side rows are all purl rows, besides which the scarf is only 29 stitches wide. I’m afraid the photos don’t do it justice, but I tried, my friends, I tried.
Here’s my Ravelry project page.
Yarn: Patons Kroy Sock, just over a 192 yard skein in Chelsea Tweed. I don’t know how, but the other sock yarn I have is also a similar dark colourway. Never seen any of those fancy handpainted/hand-dyed ones. But then always with variegated yarns, I’m often more enamoured of the yarn/thread in the skein rather than in a project worked up. I’d probably croon over the multi-hued sock yarn and then relegate it to the back of my stash, where I can no longer hear its jeers.
Andrea had suggested I could use sock yarns for scarves, and I’d forgotten that I’d indeed done so, for my Boteh (also Patons Kroy, but in a livelier colour). Plus there’s a UFO somewhere in the depths of my cupboards, started with Wildfoote Luxury. So now I can potentially make 3 scarves and free myself from the guilt of trying to make socks and failing miserably. Yay!
Needles: Size 4.00mm (US 6). That was the recommended size, I think.
Pattern: Melusine by Wendi Dunlap. (Ravelry link here).
Time: 6 days or less. I treated myself to one pattern repeat every evening and finished off with 2 and the ends on the final day.
Size: 6″ x 84″
Extra #1 I really enjoyed using a crochet hook to put on the beads while knitting, and not having to worry about stringing all of them beforehand and then getting the yarn all tangled up. Wendi suggested a tutorial found here for the technique.
#2 I’m wondering if there’s much point in becoming addicted to knitting scarves when (a) I don’t know if I can bear to give them away and (b) whether I know enough people who’d wear them. Would you, Dear Reader? More specifically, would you wear this scarf? (I mean this version, knit by me).
14 comments
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May 20, 2008 at 10:44 pm
desiknitter
It’s a very cute scarf! I like the lace pattern. I’ve never put beads on a shawl or scarf – don’t they weigh it down too much?
May 20, 2008 at 11:46 pm
mazhalai
beautiful… I have been meaning to start on my beaded project any time soon.. this has pumped me up.. so maybe soon.. I would definately wear that scarf- its so pretty!
May 20, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Smellyann
I would! It’s lovely. And thanks for the tutorial, I’ve been trying to figure out how that was done.
May 21, 2008 at 3:22 am
Andrea (noricum)
Wow! That’s gorgeous!
Speaking of sock yarn, I have both your socks finished (I even remembered to take a photo or two)… but I haven’t had time to mail them or even blog about them. Soon, hopefully!
May 21, 2008 at 5:33 am
sara
Another fabulous Mrs. Fife production!
May 21, 2008 at 8:10 am
heideho
Fabulous scarf! I’d definately wear it and I can’t wait to see the final pattern out for all of us. Positively beautiful.
May 21, 2008 at 9:59 am
ummeyusuf
What a pretty scarf!
May 21, 2008 at 10:56 am
Cindy/Snid
I think the scarf turned out really well! I understand about making things that seem, ummm, unnecessary where you might be though. I have been wondering about my constant knitting of wool socks here. Used them all the time back home, but I think here I have worn socks a total of three times in the last five months. Seems silly. I really like the crochet needle technique for adding beads. I first used that last year when I did the Mystery Stole and I thought it was genius!
May 21, 2008 at 10:59 am
Purlycues
very pretty!
May 21, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Wendi (litlnemo)
I would wear it, but I’m probably biased. π I gave mine to my mother for Mother’s Day, and, yes, it was difficult to give it away. But it looks really good on her and she was oohing and aahing over the color before she saw the whole project, so I knew she would like it.
To answer desiknitter’s question, the beads I used on mine (6/0 Czech seed beads) don’t weigh it down too much at all — they make it drape nicely. It’s not heavy at all but you can feel that they give it a bit more “body,” I guess. The tassels I put on mine probably added the most weight, though. If I had left them off like MrsFife did, I probably wouldn’t have noticed any additional weight.
Thank you so much for testing my pattern! The final version will be out very soon.
May 24, 2008 at 4:30 am
Zaz
i would, yes.i suggest you make them wider, i’ve seen some worn on the head by the gange river with saris, maybe that’s your solution? you double the width and pattern π
May 27, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Preeti
Subtle use of beads, lovely scarf!!
May 30, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Debbie
Swoon! I especially like the ends. In my experience, scarves and stoles often have one interesting (i.e., shaped) end, while the other end is simply straight, and I’ve never figured out how to remedy that. This is very cool.
Do you have a photo which shows the beads?
Re: wearability: for long skinny scarves, that are often suitable for summer and wrapped around the neck, I’d be more likely to wear something in non-wool.
July 18, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Jill
What a beautiful scarf – I’d most definitely wear it – gorgeous! I particularly love it that each end looks different – very unusual.
It’s good to know you knit too (in case I come up with any knit designs that need testing also).