Beaded Knitting in Lace
Beads can be incorporated into lace knitting either by pre-stringing them onto the yarn or by hooking them onto individual stitches with a small crochet hook. The beads add weight, sparkle, and visual rhythm to the finished piece.
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Pre-stringing method
Before knitting, thread all the beads needed for the project onto the yarn. Slide each bead up to the working yarn and knit it into the work as the pattern indicates. Slow setup but fast execution.
Crochet-hook method
Knit the row plain. Where a bead is called for, place the bead on a small crochet hook (size 0.5 mm or 0.75 mm), use the hook to lift the next stitch off the needle, slip the bead onto the stitch, and slip the stitch back to the needle. Faster setup, slightly slower execution per bead.
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When to choose which
Pre-stringing for projects with thousands of beads (full bead-encrusted shawl). Crochet-hook for occasional beads (a few hundred per shawl). The crochet-hook method also lets you choose bead colours per stitch on the fly.
Bead weight
Beads add significant weight. A heavily-beaded shawl can be twice the weight of an unbeaded one and may stretch out under its own weight. Plan for the weight in the design phase.
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CO | cast on |
| BO | bind off |
Tips
- Use a small crochet hook (0.5 mm or 0.75 mm) for the crochet-hook bead method.
- For pre-stringing, count the beads carefully — running out mid-project is a disaster.
- Account for the additional weight in the finished shawl.
In depth
Beaded lace knitting reached its peak in Victorian and Edwardian shawls. Modern beaded shawls continue the tradition with smaller, more strategically placed beads — often used to highlight the centre column, the spine, or the edge of a shawl rather than coating the entire surface.