We’re thrilled to have Ellen Sandin as a guest writer for this month’s issue! She’s the founder of EarthFaire.com and is truly an authority on adding beads to knitting or crochet!

Let’s see what Ellen has to share with us…

Beads are tremendous fun to add to knitting and crocheting.  They add sparkle and glow to your piece, in addition to color and a bit of heft (think of edges of shawls and scarves,  where they add a great swing).

Beads also allow you to add an extra pop of color to your work.  You might choose subtlety and go for clear beads or to mirror the colors of the yarn with your beads — that will give you a gentle look where the beads simply catch the light and look like little dew drops.

Or you might want to really have the beads stand out and make a statement.

It is a great way to add movement to an otherwise simple garment or to emphasize special features of your knitting or crochet.  I love to add beads to flower motifs, just as one example, to mimic the bumps and curves of nature.

The Japanese seed beads manufactured by Miyuki are known as the worldwide standard of quality for beads.  The holes are relatively large and smooth, the walls are strong, and the colors last.  Toho of Japan is a great brand as well.

The other beads you might find from some other countries tend to be less expensive and with less high-quality.  When you hear warnings about colors rubbing off or silver tarnishing, it is almost always these cheaper beads. They can be beautiful and it is hard not to be seduced.  Just know that there is a real trade-off in quality.

That being said, the Czech Republic makes some of the best pressed beads around, like daggers and tear drops and leaves.  They can add a real beauty as well though there use in knitting or crochet is a bit rare.

Adding beads to knitting

There are a number of ways to add beads to knitting.  Here are two main ones you will come across:

1. Pre-threading them on your yarn:  When you get to where you want the bead you will be sliding each up between stitches not more often than on every other row.  This will leave the beads sitting between stitches. 

This “tool” is super-helpful for accomplishing that.  It is sold as a dental floss threader in most pharmacies — it is a blue nylon shaped somewhat like a needle with a large “eye”. 

2. Alternatively if your pattern (or your design sense) wants you to add the stitches as you come to them you can do so via a very (very) thin crochet hook or similar tool (like our Verna-x beadle needle as one example, which will allow you to hold multiple beads at a time Added by Knotions: this is a VERY helpful thing! Being able to avoid needing to grab a single bead at a time is a HUGE time-saver!).  This method leaves the beads sitting on the stitch itself. 

Sizes and shapes of beads

On purchasing beads, the general rule of thumb is that the higher the number, the smaller the bead, except of course when the beads are categorized by mm size.  The story I was told was that in the beginning when giving the beads number sizes, they were lined up to form an inch in length. So of course, 6 across measuring an inch are larger beads than 8 across, and so on.

When you hear the words “seed beads” that is referring to round beads.  For knitting we generally use either size 6/0 or size 8/0.

The size 8/0s can also be used to good effect on lace weight yarns, in particular because they don’t add much weight (which can distort the fabric) and so they can make quite a statement. Larger beads should be used sparingly on lace weight yarn but can add a lot of drama.

The smaller cubes (3×3) are kind of equivalent size-wise to size 8/0 beads and can usually be substituted in the lighter yarns as well as can the 8/0 triangles.

For fingering weight yarns the size 8/0s can be pre-threaded and added easily that way. 

If you plan to add beads via a crochet hook or equivalent to yarn,  bear in mind that you need the holes to be large enough to accommodate the hook plus the yarn doubled.  In this case, think of using 6/0 beads for fingering weight as well equivalent sizes (4 mm or 4x7mm long magatamas and  4×4 cubes).

There are 5/0 beads, both round  and triangles which will often fit well onto slightly heavier yarns and 3/0s will definitely do so. There seem to be fewer color choices as the beads get larger, alas.

The fancy beads such as the pressed glass beads (leaves, daggers, teardrops etc.), have smaller holes and can likely be pre-threaded onto thread and lace weight yarns.  The holes tend not to be quite uniform though so you might need to plan to get more than you really need as some might have to be discarded.

There are not too many patterns that use those though they can be quite striking. 

Adding beads is an opportunity to add an extra dimension to your creation.  There is the contrast of soft and matte (fiber) vs. shiny and hard (glass).  There is the chance to emphasize certain areas and add an extra pop of color. The small additional weight can add a lovely swish to wraps. Beads can even be used to draw pictures across your stitches.  And of course, beads capture the light and can literally make your work shine…

Here’s to having a marvelous time!

About the Author: Ellen Sandin from EarthFaire.com

Ellen lives in northwestern New Jersey, an area of reservoirs and lakes, with forests full of deer, bear, turkeys, foxes, and even an occasional eagle or two.

She started EarthFaire.com in 2004 with the help of her husband and sons, and the journey has been one of joy and colors (and quite bead-i-ful indeed!).