Beaded Knitting

I wanted to make this beaded sweater, Lalique, by Laura Patterson, and thought I had the perfect yarn for it - only once I started the knitting I realized it was not working.  After a quick trip to a couple of yarn shops I had something else to knit it with, Findley by Juniper Moon Farms, a silk and merino lace weight yarn that was really nice to work on.

I had to take my face out of the photos - as you can tell the shadows were pretty harsh and distracting. You should be able to see some of the bead work in this close up of the back if you click on the photo - the beads decorate the lower edging on the sleeves and body, the lowest four Feather and Fan lace rows, and they zig zag up the fronts of the sweater in the flower motif at the opening edges.

The "sweater" has no closing, it is meant to be worn open and is rather like the elaborate shawls being knitted these days - only it has sleeves, which is far more practical for me.

Here's the sweater on my dress form so you can see the front without the shadows. The flash made some of the beads sparkle.

The designer called for #6 Hex beads because those facets give some shine. My bead store didn't have them except in black, so I got beads with a metallic finish on the insides.  I don't plan to wear it with the matching T - a black dress will show off the lace better.