Friday, February 24, 2006

Just Bead It!

Ok guys, I know I've been REALLY bad about posting lately and I feel terrible about it BUT...will this help to start making up for the lack of knitting content??? I have to tell you that I haven't had this much fun knitting a sock in a long time. I had some trouble to start due to my own stubbornness but once I got with the program I've been having a blast. My problem to start was with the beads and my lack of wanting to strand them on the yarn. I thought I could place the beads as I knit by working up to the stitch that the bead should be worked on, slipping a bead on the end of a tiny crochet hook and then pulling that stitch through the bead. It worked great for the first few stitches. Then for some reason, the stitches decided they didn't want to be pulled through the beads. And the yarn decided it was going to split. What a freakin' mess. So after trying to thread one stitch through a bead big enough to fit on the shank of a steel size 13 crochet hook 100 times (no, I'm not exaggerating here) with no success, I decided to frog the sock and start again. This time I put all the beads onto the yarn before I started knitting. And it worked. Go figure. I'm using Wildfoote Desert Grass, 40" size 2 Addi Turbo and celery glass 8/0 beads which I purchased from Land of Odds. Boy do they have beads. The pattern is Glad Raggs designed by Laura Andersson (HI LAURA!!!) and it's the current pattern for the Yahoo 6SoxKAL. Laura did an amazing job with this pattern and I plan to knit it again. So, what do you all think???

I have to thank you all for being so patient with me on the mini secret pal swap. It's taking me way too long to get my arse in gear and I do sincerely apologize but life's been crazy. We've been having a really hard time with my ex and his new wife. I'll fill you in soon but in the meantime, if you could keep us in your thoughts and/or prayers we'd be incredibly grateful.

5 comments:

Lisa said...

Love your Glad Raggs so far. It was also one of my favorite patterns to knit (I did mine w/out beads). I'm definitely making them again too, maybe with the beads next time.
Sorry about your situation. I'll pray for you.

Anonymous said...

hi kerry

i've just started glad raggs too. i was going to go the crochet hook route too because who wants to string ALL THOSE BEADS?! but i didn't know how it would work with 2 beads next to each other. i had previously just slipped the st after attaching the bead. do you normally knit or purl the st you just "beaded" via crochet hook?

i hope everything works out the best for your kids.

and no, i haven't started anything with the yarn or patterns you sent me for my prize. i am still looking in amazement at all the loot you sent. yes, kerry was VERY GENEROUS. i would show you all everything but i don't have a blog.
it's good because i can tell kerry about everything i've done with my prize and she won't know if i am telling the truth or lying 8<}. it's bad because i can't share. maybe i'll just hog up kerry's comment page.

adrienne in the bellybutton of california

Anonymous said...

loved your sox. I love the look of that pattern too & have been meaning to start it. I mean to start alot of things!!!! never worked w/beads before but I do have some pretty ones tucked away someone.

as always, you & your family are in my thoughts & prayers. meg peters

Anonymous said...

The sock is gorgeous. I love, love, love the color (but of course, it's green!) but I still can't figure out how you do the beads. You put them on the yarn ahead of time?? Then what do you do with them as knit stitches that don't need beads?? Guess I'm thick!

You and your family are in my thoughts and always my best wishes are with you.

Sandie
http://stash-n-stitch.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

gee, Kerry!!
i'm honored! now if i can figure out how to link to you on my blog i shall - i mean besides the side bar.
looooooovee the green color!and the dark ?black? beads have a nice subtlety.
[and to curious, you just slide the beads out of the way]
hugs and blessings, :L