Beaded Accent Cardigan

Gauge is 15 st x 23 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch, using gray worsted, size 5 needle

Beaded Accent Cardi

Beaded Accent Little Cardigan

completed 1/30/2016

white used - Valley Yarns Prescott sport weight cotton/silk blend, about 1 ½ skeins

gray used - Bergere Sport, worsted weight wool

about 1200 crystal beads, size 4 mm

size 5 needles

Top down raglan shaping, knitted flat for the body and in the round for the sleeves, seamless construction.

Abbreviations used:

RS = right side of work

WS = wrong side of work

Kb = insert needle knitwise but do not yet complete the stitch, bring bead up snugly to needle and then complete the stitch, checking that bead is facing right side of fabric

Pb =  insert needle purlwise but do not yet complete the stitch, bring bead up snugly to needle and then complete the stitch, checking that bead is facing right side of fabric

m1 = insert right tip of needle into ladder of yarn between the two needles and place loop of yarn over left needle. knit into the back loop of the yarn ladder, increasing 1 stitch

pm = place marker

sm = slip marker

K2P2 ribbing = *knit 2, purl 2, repeat from * to end of row

st st = stockinette stich, knit the RS rows, purl the WS rows

yo = yarn over

psso = passed slipped stitch over

ssk = slip 2 stitches knitwise, knit 2 slipped stitches together

sK2p = slip stitch knitwise, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over

p2tog = purl 2 together

Beading pattern for collar and bottom edges, knitted flat:

row 1 (WS): *K1, Kb, repeat from * to end of row

row 2 (RS): knit

row 3: K1, *K1, Kb, repeat from * until 1 stitch remaining, K1

row 4: knit

Beading pattern for sleeve edges, knitted in the round:

row 1: *P1, Pb, repeat from * to end of round

row 2: knit

row 3: P1, *P1, Pb, repeat from * until 1 stitch remaining in round, P1

row 4: knit

Pattern “Feather Lace” from Knitting on the Edge by Nicki Epstein.

stiches to repeat between * and * = yo, K2, ssk, k2tog, K2, yo, k1

Body

Prestring 160 beads onto white. Using white yarn with prestrung beads, cast on 64 st.

Work beading pattern row 1.

Row 2: Knit 1, m1, pm, k1, m1, knit 6, m1, pm, K1, m1, knit 46 number, m1, pm, K1, m1, knit 6, m1, pm, K1, m1, knit 1, 8 stitches increased, 4 markers placed.

Work beading pattern row 3.

Row 4: *Knit to marker, m1, sm, K1, m1, repeat from * to end of row.

Repeat rows 1-4 twice more, total of 12 rows worked. Change to gray and purl across row without increasing number of stitches. Next row, change to K2P2 ribbing and work 2 rows without increasing. Next row, increase at raglan markers as established, each row increasing 8 stitches, every other row 11 times, ending on RS row, reading to work WS row. Work K2P2 across 17 front stitches, place 41 stitches from sleeve onto waste yarn, CO 8 stitches, work across 78 back stitches, place 41 stitches from sleeve onto waste yarn, CO 8 stitches, work across remaining 17 stitches. Change to st st, knit to third CO stitch, PM, P1, K1, P1, PM, knit to the third CO stitch on the second underarm, PM, P1, K1, P1, PM, knit to end (faux side seam stitches placed). Continue P1, K1, P1 on side seams, work st st for rest of body until desired length and change to white yarn that has 390 beads pre-strung, ready to work RS row.

Set up row: *K1, yo, repeat from * to end of row.

Work rows 1-4 of beading pattern, then repeat rows 1-2 once more, total 6 rows worked. Cast off knitwise on WS row.

Front edges using white yarn, pre-string 12 beads for each side.

Left: with RS facing, pick up and knit along edge starting at neck, and down to bottom edge, 88 stitches.

Rows 1 and 3 (WS): purl to last 2 stitches, p2tog.

Row 2: Pb, P2tog, pass purled stitch over, repeat feather lace repeat across row, last K2

Row 4 and subsequent even rows, incorporate the reduction in stitches at neck edge of rows to keep integrity of feather lace repeats.

Work rows 1-4 three times, 12 rows total, then 4 rows with WS decreases but no decreases on RS rows, lastly work 4 rows without decreases.Work 20 rows total then bind off.

Right: with RS facing, pick up and knit along edge starting at bottom edge to neck, 88 stitches.

Rows 1 and 3 (WS): Pb, K2tog, purl to end

Rows 2 and 4:: slip 1, repeat feather lace across row to last 4 stitches, sK2p, K1

Work rows 1-4 three times, 12 rows total, then 4 rows with WS decreases but no decreases on RS rows, lastly work 4 rows without decreases. 20 rows total, then bind off.

Sleeves

Place stitches from waste yarn onto needles. With gray yarn, pick up 12 stitches along armhole edge, pm in center of stitches for beginning of round. Work K2P2 ribbing for 28 rows. Next row, using white yarn with 310 beads pre-strung, *K1, yo, repeat from * to end of row (104 stitches). Work beaded pattern for 12 rows then BO knitwise.

Weave in ends, block lace sections well.

Napkin Rings

Gauge is not very important, but a sport or DK weight yarn with a nice sheen to it works well. I used size 5 needles and Classic Elite Yarns Sanibel (cotton/viscose). If, after making one in the yarn of your choosing, it looks too loose, go down a needle size or two, or if tight, go up on needle size.

Cast on 27 stitches using long-tail cast on method or another somewhat elastic cast on.
Row 1: [K1, slip 1 stitch with yarn in front] repeat to end of row ending with K1
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: [slip 1 stitch with yarn in front, K1] repeat to end of row ending with a slipped stitch
Row 4: Purl
Repeat these 4 rows three times, then repeat row 1 once more, total of 13 rows. Cast off knit-wise on wrong side. Sew sides together to form a ring.

Empire Waist Top

Summer Empire Waist Top

 

Gauge

Top band, size 5 ndls, 8 st = 1”

Bodice/Sleeves, size 3 ndls 5.5 st and 9 rows = 1”

Body, size 3 ndls 4.25 st and 7 rows=1”

Made in size small, dimensions 22” long, 10.5” bodice from top to contrast band, contrast band 1.5”, body 10” long. Sleeves 7”. Top 17” wide each front and back, 13.5” at waist, 18” at bottom each front & back.

Yarn:

 (A) Valley Yarns Huntington, off white, fingering weight, about 100 yards

(B) Berroco Metallic, dark blue, sport weight, about 100 yards

(C) Valley Yarns Prescott, white, sport weight, about 600 yards

Top band, worked flat:

CO 226 st, work in Salt & Pepper pattern from Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury

Row 1 (RS): with (B), *K1, slip 1 wyib, repeat from * to end

Row 2 (WS): with (B), *K1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end

Rows 3 & 4: repeat rows 1 & 2 with (A)

Repeat 4 row repeat four times, total of 16 rows.

BO using Two-Row Bind Off from Leslie Ann Bestor’s Cast On Bind Off with (A)

Row 1: *K1, P1, pull K stitch over purl stitch, binding it off, repeat from * to end, leaving all purl stitches on needle, turn work

Row 2: Slip 2 stitches purlwise, pull first st over second, binding it off, *slip next st purlwise, pull first st over second, repeat from * to end, sew final loop down to the knitting.

Sew beginning and end together to make loop, taking care not to twist band.

Bodice and Top of Sleeves, worked in the round:

Slip stitch pattern:

Rows 1- 3: *K3, slip 1 wyib, repeat from *

Row 4: K across row

On cast on end of top band, and using (C) with size 5 ndls, pick up and knit 168 stitches, while placing markers as follows: place distinct marker for beginning of row, work 2 st, pm, work 19 st(sleeve), pm, work 5 (raglan), pm, work 55 st (front), pm, 5 st (raglan), pm, 19 st (sleeve), pm, 5 st (raglan), 55 st (back), pm, 3 st, joining to beginning of row to work in the round. Change to size 3 ndls.

Increase round: K2, sm, m1, K to marker, m1, sm, K5, sm, m1, work to next marker in slip stitch pattern,  m1, sm, K5, sm, m1, K to next marker, m1, sm, K5, sm, m1, work to next marker in slip stitch pattern, m1, sm, K3

Plain round: K all raglan and sleeve stitches, slipping markers as you come to them, working front & back in slip stitch pattern

Repeat increase round followed by plain round 12 times, 24 rows total. Work even (plain rounds) to 6”, then divide for body and sleeves as follows: slip beginning of row marker, K2, sm, K to marker, place sleeve stitches just worked onto waste yarn and remove marker at  beginning of sleeve, work front in slip stitch pattern, remove marker and incorporate the following 5 raglan st into the slip stitch pattern, pm for side, place next sleeve stitches onto waste yarn, remove marker, incorporate following 5 raglan st into slip stitch pattern and continue slip stitch pattern on back, incorporating final 3 st into slip stitch, removing remaining markers, and rejoin for working in the round for the bodice.

For remaining bodice, work 1 stitch KTBL after both start of row and alternate side marker, and the remaining stitches all in slip stitch pattern, work even for 40 rows.

Empire waist:

Change to (B) and knit 2 rows, decreasing 30 st evenly across first row (138 st). Knit 4 rows in (A), then 2 rows in (B). Knit 1 row in (C) then change to body stitch pattern.

Body:

[KTBL, *P1, K2, repeat from * to 1 stitch before side marker, P1, sm] for both front and back. Increase 1 stitch purlwise on each side of the twisted stitch on both front and back (4 stitches increased every increase row) every 8 rows a total of 6 times, 24 stitches increased, 162 stitches total. Then work even to a total of 9” from the bottom of the contrast band, about 57 rows total in body pattern. BO in two-row bind off pattern.

Sleeves:

Place held stitches onto size 3 ndl, with right side facing. With (C) work 4 rows of K1, P1 ribbing, leaving the underarm from the body unworked, just working the held stitches back and forth, then BO in ribbing loosely.

Weave in all loose ends, taking care to hide the dark blue yarn away from the white or cream to prevent “bleed through” to the front.

Abbreviations:

BO = bind off

KTBL = knit through the back loop (twisting the stitch)

m1 = make 1

ndls = needles

pm = place marker

RS = right side

sm = slip marker

st = stitch(es)

WS = wrong side

wyib = with yarn in back

wyif = with yarn in front