Challenge for 2013
Knit something with beads

KAL
PickabooKAL with crafts from the cwtch during July and August

Beads
Beads from the bead merchant - 1821 triangular size 5 Miyuki beads - currently waiting impatiently for the postman to arrive! I chose this colour because I hope they will look like dewdrops on a cobweb (hence the name).

Crochet hook
0.6mm crochet hook acquired from Loughborough’s Quorn Country Crafts, was worried when I went to my normal LYS and they didn’t have anything less than 3.5mm that I’d need to purchase online and pay ridiculous p&p, but luckily there was a small enough hook in stock (and it only cost me £1!)

Progress updates
1/7/13: Strangely enough I was just purchasing all the ingredients including the beautiful “Out of Darkness” shawl pattern to start my 2013 challenge just as this KAL was announced. I’m now waiting for my beads to arrive - so excited! I couldn’t stop myself from casting on and knitting to where I need to place the first bead. Winding 875yds of yarn by hand… not so fun!

9/7/13: have been getting on really well with this, got on to the last chart and only realised on row 7 that I hadn’t switched up a needle size.

14/7/13: finished knitting, did the hybrid picot bind off where you cast on 3, bind off 5 until you reach the centre point, at that point you do a 3 st crochet chain add a bead. crochet back 3 and then bind off 2, and repeat. Where the centre point is 3 stitches away I bound off 3 instead of 2. Took quite a long time, but probably 4 hours - I watch 2 episodes of 90210, some flights of the concord and top gear!