Like many fiber artists, I am multi-craftual. I don't crochet a lot. But I know how to crochet. For some projects, crochet is the appropriate choice. Crochet is stiffer than knitting. For items that take hard wear, crochet can be a good solution. And there are a lot of lovely lace patterns in crochet.
I decided to investigate adding beads to crochet. Since I like crochet lace patterns and beads go well with lace, this seemed like a good idea. And I found I wasn't always happy with what I got. Specifically, I was often unhappy with little strands of yarn that went around the outside of the beads. In knitting, beads are often reversible. In crochet, sometimes so and sometimes not. And I was specifically unhappy with how there didn't seem to be a way to thread a bead on to a crochet stitch. A double-crochet is a nice sturdy post. Surely there must be a way to get all of that post through the center of a bead?
My experiments resulted in a series of videos. There are eight videos — one introduction and seven techniques.
The introduction is an overview and a sort of index. You can view the results of each technique, including whether it is reversible and what orientation it gives the bead. From that, you can decide which videos to watch.
The first two videos deal with pre-stringing beads. As with any technique,
there are pros and cons.
Downsides: planning ahead, stringing multiple
colors of beads in the correct order, fixing mistakes, difficult to improvise,
the yarn can fray through many beads, beads are attached through only one
strand of yarn.
Upsides: project is portable (strung beads can't escape);
if you strung correctly in order, it stays that way.
This first technique video shows what happens when you slide a pre-strung bead
into position between stitches.
The results in double crochet are reversible
with a horizontal orientation. Single crochet seems not to be reversible and the beads are more angled. For me,
the beads in single crochet end up on the opposite side of work.
This second technique video shows what happens when you slide a pre-strung bead into position in the middle of making a stitch.
At least for me, the beads end up on the opposite side of the work. The work is not reversible. They are
mostly vertical. In double crochet, option 1 ends up low and to the left, option 2 is low and to the right, option 3 is high and to the right. With two beads on one double crochet, they don't quite line up. In single crochet the beads are also on the opposite side of the work and not reversible. They also lean a little. My biggest concern with this method is the beads sit up on the fabric and are attached with only one strand. They could catch and tear.
Tomorrow: adding unstrung beads.
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