Sunday, April 01, 2007

Beaded yarn for Sahara?

I purchased my yarn for Sahara last week. I ordered Handmaiden's Great Big Sea which is a worsted weight yarn with a lovely twist made of 50% silk, 30% merino and 20% seacell. It is a handdyed yarn in a shade called "Pumpkin."
I would like to have a beaded yarn for the neck, sleeve and hem bands like that shown on the pattern, but I'm not sure which is the best way to proceed with that. I found some lovely Japanese triangular shaped 5/0 seed beads which have an orange core and clear outer part. I think the color is subtle enough and the sparkle is just enought to add subtle glitz which is what I want. My question--Would it be better to string the beads on the yarn and place them at specific intervals--say one bead every two inches--or to place them at specific stitches in the pattern? Any opinions? Ultimately, I guess I will have to swatch the lace and experiment. I hope to start Sahara this week after I swatch the yarn for gauge. I need to finish a couple of chemo caps first then I'm in!

5 comments:

Kate said...

What a gorgeous color. I can't wait to see it knit!

Anonymous said...

I've never beaded so I don't have any opinions/suggestions on that, but I just wanted to say that yarn is gorgeous!

Cheryl said...

I have beaded....if the yarn is too thick for stringing the beads and knittng right in get a very very thin carry thread, maybe even a quilting thread, which I have used but it gives n sretch so a lace weight yarn is better and string the beads on it, carry it along and randomly slip the beads in.

Unknown said...

That yarn is absolutely beautiful!

I agree with Cheryl, I would string the beads on a seperate thread in the same, or similar color, and carry it along. I'm using the Artyarns Beaded silk for my beaded portion and the beads are places three inches apart. If you wouldn't mind reminding me, I could do a swatch and tell you how many stitchs in pattern it works out to for the beads to show up. Then you could place the beads at the same intervals.

Jen said...

Gorgeous yarn... I'm going to have to delay my sahara because I don't think the Great Big Sea Silk is available in the UK yet and once I saw the gague worked I knew this was the yarn I wanted. I'll just have to settle for doign Rowan's Tulip and working on my seasilk shawl