Lotus

The yarn is actually a little brighter and yellower than this, but it's not a bad representation of this sweater in progress. It's slow going, being 280 stitches around, with plenty of yarn overs and knit-these-two-togethers, but it's not so complex that I can't make some progress. I really like this yarn. It's not the least bit scratchy, and is soft yet a little crisp.

Right before Christmas I made a couple of these row-counting bracelets, one for me and one for my sister. Recently, I made another one for myself to use on the Lotus Tank project. They're really easy -- the hardest part is finding the right number of beads that you like that remotely go together. For this one, I bought an inexpensive necklace kit and strung it up.


Let me see if I can describe for you how to make it. You'll need...

Plastic-coated wire, about two feet
Stretchy bead cord, about six inches (the elastic cord kind is great)
Four crimps
One bracelet toggle set
One really big notable bead
Ten largish beads
One largish notable bead
Nine medium beads of one color
Two medium beads of another color
Eighteen seed beads, probably size 6 or 8 (the holes should be big enough that the wire will go through doubled, twice)
Super glue
needle-nose pliers

First, make the little stretchy bead keeper: string on eight beads, tie the first half of a square knot, and slip it on your finger to stretch out the cord. Tie the second half of the knot, and slip it off your finger -- it should look like a little circle of beads, but you should be able to stretch it and slip your finger in it. If so, glue the knot with super glue.

Put the toggle stick piece on the wire, and fold the wire in half. String a crimp on both wires, slide to the fold and crimp it where it will allow the toggle to move freely.

String on three seed beads, the largish notable bead, and three more seed beads, then another crimp. Slide the crimp against the last seed bead, but make sure there's room for the beads to spin on the wire. Crimp it there, when it pleases you.

On one wire, string the ten largish beads. On the other wire, string the nine medium beads. Now, hold the wires together again and string on a crimp.

This is the tricky part -- figuring out how much wire to leave bare before you crimp the crimp. Look at the example -- you need to leave about as much bare wire as it takes to hold the nine medium beads beyond the largish ones. When you get it figured out, crimp the crimp.

On both wires, string on two seed beads, one medium bead of another color, the biggest notable bead, the other medium bead of another color, and two more seed beads.

Now, string on the crimp. the circle part of the toggle set, and bring the wires back through the crimp, through two seed beads, the medium bead, and the big notable bead.

Here's the other hard part: you need to adjust the loop holding the toggle so that it's attractive and allows the toggle to move freely, while at the same time hiding the wire ends inside the big bead. When you get it all to work together, crimp the crimp, and cut the wire ends off so that they slide back into the big bead and are hidden. All of the beads on the bracelet should move freely, but still be held in place by the crimps.

Now, slide the little stretchy circle of seed beads over the section with the big notable bead. You are done!

Here's how you use it: when you do a row, slide one of the medium beads through the circle. When you do your rows and you run out of your nine beads, slide one of the largish beads through and slide your mediums back the other way and start again. The bracelet in the picture shows that I've knitted three rows. Some knitters wear them, but I just keep it in my vicinity while I'm knitting. I want to make one for sock knitting that isn't a bracelet, because if I stuff one in the bag with the yarn the toggles catch on the strands.

Have fun making one of your own!