There has been lace

Of course there's been lace!

I used a delightful silk, cashmere and alpaca blend to make the Aeolian Shawl which was in Knitty a while ago.

The adding of the beads was a bit of a trial.  I didn't like the idea of threading all the beads onto the yarn before I started for two reasons: firstly, I just want to get on with the knitting - swatch?  Don't be ridiculous!, secondly, threading 2,250 beads might just have sent me over the edge (not to mention causing intolerable strain on the yarn itself).

So, second method then.  The crochet hook.  Even though I can crochet, I rarely do (but more of that later).  That hasn't stopped me amassing quite a collection of crochet hooks.  I don't have one that's skinny (technical term) enough to go through a titchy (tt) bead though.

So, third method.  I threaded a very very skinny (tt) beading needle with some strong cotton, in through the bead, through the relevant stitch, back through the bead, slide the bead onto the stitch.  Done - 2,250 times.

I forgot to take any pictures of this delicate manoeuvre but I did find this blog with some good pics.  (OK, she's using a crochet hook but the principle is the same.)

More pictures of my Aeolian:

I finished it just in time for Mother's party up in the North.  It was much admired.  Then disaster struck.

I caught it on the door handle and (look away now if you are of a nervous disposition) ripped a hole in it.

I was so vexed that I threw it in a bag and left it alone for three weeks.

I took it out the other day and had a proper look (no pictures - too traumatic).  I can't repair it, so I bit the bullet and ripped out to past the hole.  Only thirteen rows.  Only?  There are about five hundred stitches on the needle.  It took a while but all the stitches are back on the needle in the right order.

There might be some pictures of that beading technique yet.