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Knitty�: little purls of wisdom
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Schaefer Yarn Company
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Title
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spacer photos: Laura Nelkin, Roy McCarthy

Tangy

I love summer, I love beads, and I love figuring out how to make beads float on yarn-overs, that’s a lot of LOVE! I combined all my loves and came up with this little summer inspired wrap. 

It’s got a lace pattern that is easy to get the groove of, and motifs of dragonflies, one of my favorite things to watch when I spend steamy summer days at the lake with some giggling kids and my knitting. 

Some people have seen moths when looking at the pattern, some dragonflies, one unnamed source even said he saw a carrot, but we hushed him quickly! 

This wrap will keep the chill off in restaurants or down by a lake listening to the summer night.

 

SIZE

Small[Large] [both shawls shown in size S]

 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Width: 53[61] inches
Length at center: 22[25] inches
Note: Measurements are taken after blocking.

 
MATERIALS
chart keyspacer Schaefer Yarns Anne[60% superwash merino wool, 25% mohair, 15% nylon; 560yd/512m per 113g skein]; shown in Ashes of Roses (pink) and Bluebell (blue); 1[2] skeins

Recommended needle size:
spacer 1 US #5/3.75 mm circular needle, 32 inches or longer

spacer 1205[1371]  size 8 glass seed beads (approx. 31[35]g); shown in Smokey Amethyst AB with pink yarn and Amethyst Lined Crystal AB with blue yarn (be sure to have extra beads)
spacer Dental floss threader or large-eye bead needle
spacer Yarn needle

GAUGE

23 sts/30 rows = 4 inches in stockinette st, after blocking

 
PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
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Chart: The chart for this pattern fits on 2 letter-sized pages. Click here and here and print both pages. The chart key is above.

Tip for stringing beads:  You don’t have to painstakingly count each bead as you thread them onto the yarn. Thread on 20 beads, make sure they are placed tightly together, then measure to see how much length they cover.

Determine how many beads are needed to cover an inch of yarn (measure in several places to get an accurate average measurement).

Determine how many inches of beads are needed to achieve the number of beads required; it's easier to measure the length of yarn covered in beads, than to count out hundreds of beads!

Example: If 12 beads are needed to cover 1 inch of yarn and 600 beads are required, you will need to string enough beads to cover 50 inches of yarn.

600 beads ÷ 12 beads/inch = 50 inches

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Place Bead: Slide bead up yarn so that it sits directly next to the right needle, then work the following st as directed. The bead will remain positioned between the stitches.

When working yarnovers with multiple beads, the desired effect is for the beads to float on the yarnovers on each side of the bug motifs. This is easy to do, and you will soon get the hang of it.

Working a beaded yarnover: Slide beads up yarn so that they sit directly next to the right needle. Work the yarn over, then work the following st as directed. The beads will remain in place on the yarnover.

Working into the beaded yarnover on the subsequent rows:
Note that in this pattern there will always be two beaded yarnovers, separated by one or two stitches.
Work into the right-hand side of the first beaded yarnover, keeping the beads to the back of the left needle. Work the center st(s), then work into the left-hand side of the second beaded yarnover, keeping the beads to the front of the left needle. A tutorial showing this technique can be found here.

Instructions for the Backward Loop Cast On can be found here.

Blocking: Information about blocking lace can be found here and here.

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DIRECTIONS
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Thread 1205[1371] beads onto yarn.

Note: If preferred, string only half of the beads. Then, when beads run out, break yarn, string remaining beads, and rejoin yarn.

CO 43 sts using Backward Loop method. If there is another cast on method you prefer for lace projects, feel free to use your preferred method. It is important that the cast on edge is stretchy, and loose enough to stretch when the shawl is blocked.

Work Rows 1-20 of Chart A once. 81 sts.

Work Rows 1-20 of Chart B 6[7] times, then work Rows 21-22 once. 309[347] sts.

Upper Edge:
CO 3 sts at beginning of next row using backward loop method.

Row 1 [RS]: Work beaded yarnover, placing 1 bead; k2tog, k2tog tbl (last st of edging worked together with next st of shawl). Turn work.

Row 2 [WS]: Sl 1 with yarn held to front of work, p2. Turn work.

Repeat these 2 rows until all sts of shawl have been worked. 3 sts of edging remain.

Break yarn, draw through remaining sts and pull tight.

FINISHING

Weave in ends and block, pinning out points at upper end lower edges. 

 
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
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Laura learned to knit 4 years ago and got so thoroughly obsessed she had to get a job at a yarn company so she could be around fiber ALL THE TIME. Now Laura splits her work hours between her company NelkinDesigns and her paying gig as the design director at Schaefer Yarn Company.

When she isn't designing and knitting, she is gardening, whipping up yummy feasts with her family, and taking time to play!