http://www.forrestrace.com/bead-press-3/
And the Bead Goes on
Memories of the ’60′s – love beads, hippie beads, beads on a string around necks and wrists, homemade, handmade, swinging with long hair and flowered skirts. Beads were such a strong fashion element of that decade. The subject of beads is a vast one and the hippie incarnation was just a small part of beading history. It is thought that our early ancestors were stringing sea shells as early as 30,000 years ago and the first beads, that developed as a significant trading item, were likely made from seeds. The many materials and methods used in making beads have resulted in an infinite variety. When raw materials of stone, metal, glass, plastic or resin combine with assorted artistic and cultural influences, the bead is in very little danger of becoming boring.
Even with the vast choice of beads available there are a few cautions that should be noted when it come to using beads in your knitting. Along with beads, anything that can have a hole drilled in it or have a shank attached can be successfully worked into your garment. This would include items such as buttons, small charms, mirrors, or even coins. The first consideration is weight. Adding bead ornamentation to your knitted garment will add extra weight whether attached with an embroidery method or knitting in the bead. The trick is to find the beads in the right weight and quantity without causing your garment to sag. So decisions must be made as to what size of bead to use, how many, and is it suitable to the yarn weight. The size of the bead hole must also be considered. A larger bead hole may cause the bead to hang loosely with a dangling effect, unless that is the intent. A bead hole that is too small will not allow for passage of the yarn thickness that you have chosen. Before you begin, it is always best to test your bead choice through whatever cleaning process the finished garment will have to undergo. Join a few of the chosen beads to a knitted swatch and wash or dry clean. Check the sample carefully for dye leakage or staining on your ground fabric.
Beads or decorative objects should be threaded onto the yarn before you begin knitting. If you are working from a chart which will require specific placement and a certain color order, remember that first is last. The first bead to be strung onto the yarn is the last bead to be placed in the knitting. Joining a marker on the yarn to indicate row changes is also helpful. It is advisable to practice the threading and knitting in of the bead to know how the bead will “sit” on the knitting. The proper placement can vary with size, shape, the way the bead is threaded, and direction of the bead hole. Beads can be knit on a variety of stitches but to start, practice on knit stitches, working as follows: Knit to where you wish to place the bead, bring yarn and the bead to front of work, slip the next stitch purlwise, take yarn to back of work, leaving the bead at front, knit the next stitch.
If this experiment gets you hooked on beads, there a number of books which outline the fascinating history of beads as well as tempting projects. A classic standby, both encyclopedic and inspirational, that will give you wonderful lessons in the history and classification of beads is “The Book Of Beads” by Janet Cole and Robert Budwig (Simon and Schuster). A more recent offering from Lily Chin, “Knit and Crochet With Beads” (Interweave Press) will walk you through specific beading and knitting projects.
Placing beads on your knitting can add additional layers of color and texture to your knit and purls, not to mention triggering all those flower child memories.
About the Author
Maddy Cranley is a professional knitwear designer, who has created exclusive designs for knitting and craft magazines, authored and published three books on the subject of creating felt garments and projects from handknitting, and produces an ever-expanding line of maddy laine and maddy baby handknitting patterns. For additional information, see http://www.maddycraft.com
Hunter TCX515 Conventional Tire Changer
|
|
HOTP Templates 8.5X11 – Bead Maker $4.99 Bead MakerHOT OFF THE PRESS-Templates: 11×8-1/2in. Make one-of-a-kind handmade cards and scrapbook pages with these plastic templates. Each template features gridlines for precise measuring and placement. Size; shape and number of templates per sheet varies by theme. Imported. … |
|
|
Heavy-Duty 12-Piece Hollow Punch Set for Metal, Wood, Leather, Plastic $4.25 Set of 12 steel leather punch tools.Sizes: 1/8 in., 5/32 in., 3/16 in., 7/32 in., 1/4 in., 5/16 in., 3/8 in., 7/16 in., 1/2 in., 9/16 in., 5/8 in., and 3/4 in….. |
|
|
TURNING PROJECTS WITH RICHARD RAFFAN / DVD $18.95 Theres no end to the splendid variety of useful objects you can turn once you see Richard Raffan at his lathe. In this woodturning video, youll learn to select the wood species best suited for a wide variety of turning projects. Raffan shows you how to manipulate skews, gouges and parting tools to produce the whole repertoire of wood-turning cuts, and how to recognize the structural aspects of a p… |
|
|
Anytime Tools Sheet Metal ROTARY MACHINE Steel Bender BEAD ROLLER Heavy Duty HVAC Fabrication Forming $465.00 Professional High Quality – Forms Sheet Metal Six Different Ways This rotary forming machine offers a variety of shapes and is capable of forming sheet metal for a variety of uses including crimping and beading. 6-1/2″ deep throat and long shaft permit easy handling of wide rolls. Frame and base are made of durable cast iron steel. Single clamp mounting system. Features: Includes 6 sets of rolls/d… |
|
|
PMC Beads $25.99 Popular author and teacher Tim McCreight has designed five beads to illustrate innovative ways to work with Precious Metal Clay. This is a hybrid, McCeight says. It is not a project tape, but it doesn t limit itself to technique either. In fact, you can have it both ways. People who want projects can make these beads, but people who want technique will find that the information applies to anyth… |
|
|
IMAKO COSMETIC TEETH (Color: Natural) Cosmetic Teeth for a beautiful smile without expensive trips to the dentist. Just mold over upper teeth and clip into position. Hides gaps and crooked teeth. Wear while smoking or drinking (not for eating), won’t affect speaking. Fits securely and comfortably over teeth, bondings, veneers and crowns. For sizing, measure width of four front teeth. (Color: Natural)… |
|
|
Conair HJ3BC Quick Gems Hair Jeweler $17.75 Conair Quick Gems features Gem cartridge rotates automatically; Jeweler attaches gems to hair in seconds; Includes 24 reusable jewels in 2 sizes and 4 shapes; Cartridge holds up to 18 jewels; Bejewel your hair automatically to all hair types; Easy on/easy off jewels…. |
|
|
Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue-4 oz. $1.10 This glue is superior on fabric, silk, burlap, paper, trimming, decorating and jewelry, excellent for miniatures and was especially designed for paper crafts or when gluing odd surfaces such as wood, metal, glass, ceramic, paper, china, styrofoam and most plastics. Glue dries clear and flexible. NOTE: this glue is not intended to be used on wearables you need to wash. This package contains 4oz/118… |
|
|
Mastercool 71550 Air Conditioner Hose Crimper $141.99 “Manual style” A/C hose crimper for crimping barbed and beaded fittings The dies snap quickly into place requiring no pins or screws The unit can be easily mounted to a bench using the holding fixture or held securely in a vice This kit comes with a complete set of dies covering standard hose sizes #6, #8, #10, and #12. Packaged in custom molded carrying caseKit includes yoke assembly, arbor as… |
|
|
TSI PakPress Portable Wheel Stud Remover and Installer, Model# 1-PPK $2,899.99 A must if you’re in the fleet maintenance industry. Brings the power of a 10-ton shop press right to the truck. U.S.A. Recommended Use: Stud remover, Machine Type: Hydraulic, Operating PSI: 16 CFM at 100 PSI max., Tire Type: Truck tires, Drive System: Hydraulic, Control Mechanism: Foot pedal, Dimensions L x W x H (in.): 22 x 22 x 10, Material: Cast and heat treated nickel alloy, Includes: Adapter… |