Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Forget Swallowtail, it's Kiri, beaded

After my big Swallowtail disaster, I figured I could probably manage Kiri for the silent auction-it's due in 8 days, and I just don't have the heart to reknit Swallowtail for a deadline. I have about 130 stitches on the needles, and have started beading. Of course there is no planning ahead in Betsyland. I had no idea how many beads to thread on, and no idea where I wanted them.
I rigged a little dental floss as a "needle" to thread the bead onto each stitch. It's slow going, but I am learning a lot. In Kiri, the points are formed by a slip 1, k2tog, PSSO. On the upper row of my swatch, I slipped the bead on the stitch that is slipped, then I did the PSSO. On the lower row, I slipped the bead onto the resulting stitch. I think I like the bead (a size E, BTW) on the resulting stitch a little better, because I think it looks cleaner. I am closing in on the end of the first ball of Pharao, and will probably embellish MORE as I near the end. I ordered additional (larger) beads, and they aren't here yet. Wish they would hurry.

12 comments:

Marcia said...

Hey. Way to swallowtail your pride. As you know, in a matter such as this, time and focus are Ki. Ri lee.

smariek said...

I've never tried knitting in beads, so your description of how you did the beat totally went over my head...

junior_goddess said...

Marcia-is your blog lost, or is it working again?

Marie, I popped one bead on one stitch. I used a piece of dental floss to loop around the thread, and pull it thru the bead. I've never beaded before either, so it's probably wrong. Don't narc me out to the bead police.

LisaW. said...

freakin showoffs!

jayne said...

What Lisa said.

You are one brave knitter to get onto Kiri after the Swallowtail disaster. If that had been me, I don't know if the yarn would have survived.

Unknown said...

Betsy,

That is gonna be one awsome Kiri! I want to see the finished shawl AND wnat to know how much it got at the auction!

Good luck

Libby

Anonymous said...

Ditto Lisa. ;-} Good job, I think it's pretty and I don't care how you got the beads on there. You did it and it works. I'm impressed.

CatBookMom said...

This is going to be a big $$$ item at the auction! Gorgeous and so clever of you with the dental floss.

Anonymous said...

You are SO clever. I agree that the bead over the finished stitch is cleaner. So very pretty and what a great device to put the bead on without having to thread them all ahead and traumatize the yarn by slipping them along. Hmmm, have a bead order brewing, may have to stick a few more in....6-0?Daryl

Les said...

Good going! That's going to be beautiful!! The beads will be a very pretty touch!
Les

junior_goddess said...

It turned out to be even easier to take a 5" piece of Beadalon, and fold it in half, and crease it hard. I don't have to spit on it to get it thru the bead.

Anonymous said...

Bets,
This is going to look so pretty! Neat pic of dental floss and bead, now I can see how to do it, if I ever get the nerve up!