ADDING LAST-MIN BEADS
QI’m knitting a lace wrap which has beads on. The pattern says to string the beads onto the yarn beforehand but I’ve forgotten and already cast on and knitted the first section. Is there another way that I can add them without having to pull out all my hard work?
Gillian Claremont, Chipping Sodbury
You can add beads with a crochet hook instead, which is helpful if you forget to put your beads on, or if any of your prestrung beads are damaged and need to be replaced. The crochet hook you choose will need to fit through your bead, a fine steel one is usually best, around 0.5mm. Using your crochet hook, pick up a bead and push it down the hook as far as it will easily go – don’t force it or you may break it! Use your crochet hook to grab the stitch you want to work, currently on your lefthand needle. You don’t need to pull the stitch o the needle; in fact, you may find it easier to leave it on the needle as this helps to keep the stitch ‘stable’. Pull the stitch through the bead using the crochet hook. This may feel fiddly at first, but it won’t take long to get used to it. Because the hook is so fine, if you are using plied yarn it may split the plies and only pull some of them through the bead, so watch out for this. Take the stitch o the left-hand needle and arrange the bead so that it sits neatly over the stitch. You can now either work this stitch or simply slip it purlwise onto the right-hand needle. If you slip the stitch, this will pull the bead up a little and it may sit neater than if you work it, but it is a personal preference. Just make sure you use the same method every time. Rachael