splityarn: knitting bind-off with beads (tutorial)

knitting bind-off with beads (tutorial)

Way back in the Spring when I finished Hanami, I had it in my head to write a tutorial on how to do the beaded bind off. Spring led to Summer and a ton of travel, Summer led to Fall and we moved across country so the tutorial fell into the drawer of One Day. As it turns out, One Day is today.

This version of the beaded bind off is really easy with the right tools. The first thing is to get a small enough crochet hook to fit through the bead and still have room for the yarn. The one shown here is ridiculously small (0.75mm;) it's way teenier than it needs to be, but it was what they had at the store AND it was on sale. That makes it the right size for me. I'm not a beader, so I don't really how the sizes work, but the ones I used are 6/0 seed beads. The yarn is the leftover Seasilk from Hanami, but with the right combo of yarn and beads, you can use this cast-off on anything.

The bind off is essentially the same as normal with the addition of adding the bead on every other stitch.

1. Start by knitting one.
2. Put a bead on the crochet hook and take that first stitch off the right hand needle.
3. Hook the stitch with the crochet hook and slide the bead down over it.
4. Put the stitch back on the right hand needle.
5. Knit the next stitch.
6. Pass the beaded stitch over just like a normal bind off.
7. Knit the next stitch and pass the first one over.
8. Repeat steps 2-8 until you're finished.
9. Marvel at the sparkliness of your finished handknit.