ABC's of Creativity - Y is Yarn

Yarn is defined as a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable to use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving. Since I’m approaching this from the beading angle, I’d like to present a few examples of how yarn is used as the carrier of beads and show a few examples of how the combination works. 

"Bobbles by the Yard" by Flo FLory
Project in A Needle Pulling Thread, Summer 2011

I’ve been told the beads have to be put onto the yarn before beginning to knit or crochet. This is something that needs to be prepared in advance. You can use and finer thread and needle to hook your yarn into a folded knotted thread OR use a split needle to catch the yarn and string seed beads for your project.

"Threading beads", Knitting with Beads,
www.vogueknitting.com

VOGUE Knitting has an excellent intro to Knitting With Beads. There are two ways: random or planned placement called “beaded knitting” where the beads fall over the stitches rather than between them. There's the stockinette and the slip stitch method for single beads embellishment of knitting.

"From the wrong side", Kntting with Beads,
www.vogueknitting.com

'From the right side", Knitting with Beads,
www.vogueknitting.com

The other was is ”bead knitting” where the beads are placed between each stitch for a solid beaded look. I haven't found a video tutorial on bead knitting. Guess you'll need to take a class with Flo and learn from a master.

Knitting with beads was developed in the 18th and 19th centuries and used for purses of other elaborately decorated items. It’s called “bead knitting” or “purse knitting”. It is created by placing on bead between each stitch, so that the knitting stitches are completely hidden by beads. Intricate patterns can be created in bead knitting by threading beads in reverse of the design which  must be completely accurate.

"Hearts", knitted reticule by Flo Flory, ON

I have had an opportunity to get a closer look and feel at Bead Knitting through fellow Toronto Bead Society member, Flo Flory’s work. Flo designs and teaches bead knitting and was kind enough to come over with her beadwork when I was preparing an inspirational visual presentation, “Beadwork: The Most Versatile Art Form” in Oct. 2011. Better yet, it was great when we were able to pass around her finished knitting work during my presentation. Folks got to feel how soft and fluid the purses and accessories were. The larger the piece, the heavier it gets because uses glass Czech see beads for knitting. Haven't found a video tutorial on bead knitting. Guess you'll need to take a class with Flo and learn from a master.

"Looped Evening Bag" bead knitted bag with bead trim, 2011
by Flo Flory, ON 

"Sea Breeze  Bag & Bracelet, bead knitted bag and bracelet
by Flo Flory, ON
Project in A Needle Pulling Thread, Summer 2007

'Houndstooth" bead knitted zipper case, 2008
by Flo Flory, ON

"Magic Tube Necklace", bead knitted
by Flo Flory, ON

Beaded Tie, bead knitted by Flo Flory, ON

(l.-r.) "Teddy Bead,, 2005, TIe and Beaded Star, 2010r,
all bead knittedby Flo FLory, ON

There are a lot of video tutorials on adding a few beads here and there. See Theresa Grisnati’s tutorial of how to add a single bead into your knitting by using a crochet hook as a tool to add beads as you are about to for the knit stitch.

Theresa Grisnati, knit hat with bead embellishment. See youtube video

Bead can we used as trim in a knitted piece. There are many different technique for effects, but single space aout beads are the simplest embellishment. 

Beads and yarn also go together in crochet. My sister-in-law Lynn Wasylkevych crochets with beads on yarns for a soft hand and on wire for a harder edge where the beads appear to float, but that’s a different story.

"Winter on the Blue Ridge", by Lynn Wasylkevych, NC,
for a competition at a Bead Society, 2009

Detail of "WInter on the Blue Ridge". Crocheted base with wire crochet trim.

"Green Apples", bead crochet bracelet
by Lynn Wasylkevych, NC, 2009

Hope this blog gives you an appreciation of how well beads and yarn go together. It's yet another great way to show a little creativity.

Happy beading,

Maria

Downloadable Patterns

As of August 1 you will be able to purchase a selection of Rypan Designs patterns for instant download. Available here are 15 patterns for $8.95 (CDN) and 1 pattern (neckace & bracelet) for $12.95 (CDN).

Select the pattern you would like, add it to your cart, accept the license agreement and either continue on to pay with PayPal or continue shopping. Once you have made your payment a confirmation email will be sent to you with instructions on downloading the PDF pattern. It is important to know that the link for the download will expire after 24 hours.

Once you have your pattern, print and start creating. You will have a beautiful handcrafted piece of jewelry before you know it!

Here is a look at some of the patterns that are available.

Twig Chip Cascade & Chicklet Bracelet

Chicklet Bracelets

Textured Net

 

Egyptian Net

Triple 'V' Jeweled

Netted Zig Zag

Twig Willow Twist

Please let us know what you think about having access to downloadable patterns.

A big thanks to John Fusco and the team at A Needle Pulling Thread for getting this up and running!

Happy Beading!!

ABC's of Creativity - N is Netting

Netting is a beadweaving technique used in cultures around the world and for many centuries.

Here is a piece from 680-670 BCE, it uses blue faience beads to make a beaded shroud. The arms of the net are tubular faience beads.

Bead Shroud of Tabakenkhonsu @ Met

The mesh like structure of beads makes it this an easy to identify beading technique. The challenge is to know if it is horizontal or vertical netting. 

diagram of horizontal netting (from about.com)

diagram of vertical netting worked from a base row of beads (from about.com)

This Lemko collar was made by the bride for her wedding. Anna Harhay Kryza used a bead loomwoven band as the base for the vertical lower netting.

from the collection of Diane Melnyk

a selection for vertical netted collars with geometric designs

This vertical netted collar is Maria's version of the traditional Ukrainian netted collars with their geometric patterns, appeared in the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of Step by Step Beads.

Rypan Designs Netted Diamonds Collar

When commissioned by Vesniwka, a renown Ukrainian women's choir in Toronto, to make collars  for the singers she used red, gunmetal and gold.

Vesniwka collar protype

The depth and style of the design reminded many people of the beaded collars from ancient Egypt. So Maria reworked the colors to turquoise and gold.

Rypan Designs Egyptian Collar

This netted collar is not a deep as the Egyptian but the placement of the beads creates a beautiful zigzag pattern. Here Maria has used just simple size 10 seed beads.

Rypan Design Netted ZigZag

Taking the netted zigzag collar, changing some of the seed beads to mini rondelles, hi-lighting the zigzag with silver seed beads and adding large rondelles to some of the picots has changed the traditional collar into a fashion forward design. This design is in the current (Aug/Sep 2013) issue of Beadwork.

Rypan Designs Chic Chevron Collar

Here again in the zigzag pattern, but deeper and some of the seed beads have been replaced with bugle beads. A few rows of netting are worked into matching earrings.

Rosey's Zigzag

These next two netted items are very different from the collar style of beadwork. Here the netting forms a rectangle with is connect to a long netted band with stringers of beads and bugle. The Indigo Kilim appeared in the Jun 2003 issue of Bead & Button.

Rypan Designs Indigo Kilim

The Sedona Kilim below was made for the Toronto Bead Society Bag of Beads challenge 2000. It appears in the gallery in Diane Fitzgerald's book Netted Beadwork.

Sedona Kilim, beaded by M. Rypan

For most of the previous projects the main netting was done with seed beads, here twist bugle for the major part of the netted design. Seed beads are used for the fringing.

Rypan Designs Twig Willow Twist

Netting can also be used for projects other that necklaces. Here are some beaded pysanky. Many different techniques are used for beaded pysanky. The two front eggs are done using netting. Maria's article about bead pysanky appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of A Needle Pulling Thread.

From pysanky,info

I have also used netting to make small circular netted snowflakes. Here seed bead and Swarovski crystals create a sparkly snowflake ornament.

Winter Wonderland Snowflake, designed and beaded by J. Woolverton

I hope that you will try the easy and versatile stitch to create something wonderful.

Happy Beading!

A Needle Pulling Thread's Summer Colors

When Maria works on creating a new design or color way of an existing design, she always asks herself, "What if?". For her latest published design, the What if? came from A Needle Pulling Thread's editor Carla Canonico who had a specific color palette in mind for the summer 2012 issue.

The journey started at last fall's Creativ Festival when Carla gave Maria the challenge of her summer palette. The next step was to search for beads. Once found, it was time to test color placement (more What ifs?). With the final placement decided, next came creating the pattern, beading a complete sample and sending it all off to Carla.

Now the summer issue is on the stands and Maria's "Millefiori Mosaic Collar and Earrings" are the beading project.

Finding the millefiori beads with the colors from Carla's color palette was a great find. Taking the time to play and ask What if? with color placement was the creative challenge of this design.

The summer issue of A Needle Pulling Thread is now available. This limited edition kit is, of course, available from Rypan Designs.