Beaded Baby Bib-O-Love

Baby Bib-O-Love meets Vivian Høxbro.  

 

I was in one of our many LYS's the other day and the owner was doing something called "domino" knitting.  Always curious, I asked, "What is that?" One thing led to another and soon I was reading Vivian Hoxbro's book, Domino Knitting (Knitting Technique series).  Of course, the first thing you do is make her 9 basic squares.  OK, I didn't make ALL 9, but there was one that caught my eye, #9.  She called it "beaded". Vivian is big into garter stitch and its many variations.

 

The beads are basically a slipped stitch worked over 2 rows of garter stitch in a contrasting color, AKA a Mosaic Garter Stitch.

 

Another book which has brought back the virtues of the garter stitch is Mason Dixon Knitting.  The bib pattern (Baby Bib-O-Love) looked inviting, and the thought of a striped bib seemed appealing, but those beads of Vivian's were in my mind...

 

I decided those bibs needed some BEADS and so...

 

These tropical colors are brought to you by Tahki, Cotton Classic.  

 

Here is a detail of slipped stitch and the "bead":

 

To set up a bead row, do 2 rows of garter stitch (knit every stitch on both the right and wrong sides) in fuchsia.

 

The row with the "bead" is worked with the green yarn over 2 rows, and one stitch is knitted, the next stitch is slipped.  So, in this example, using the green yarn (tie on the green yarn), knitting from the fuchsia row below (you knitted the row below with fuchsia) you knit one fuchsia stitch with the green yarn, then you slip a fuchsia stitch (holding the green yarn behind the work, at this point the right side is facing you), then you knit the next stitch with the green yarn, slip the next stitch, etc.  Do this all the way across the row.

 

(Note:  if you start this at the bottom of your work, then you cast-on in fuchsia, knit one row in fuchsia (in this example). You are now on the RS (right side) and you are ready to start the bead row in a contrasting color (in this example, green).  This bead or slipped garter stitch is done starting on the right side of the work.)

 

On the next row, with the green yarn, you knit any stitches you knitted in the last row and slip any stitches you slipped in the last row, always keeping the yarn in back of the work when you slip the stitches.  This time you will be working on the wrong side of the work but you will be "creating" the beads on this pass.  They will "appear" on the right side of the work.  Take a look as you work your way across and you will see them.

 

Now you will be back at the side where your fuchsia yarn is.   Pick up the fuchsia yarn* and do 2 rows of garter stitch or knit across and back.  This forms the border on the top of the bead and really sets the bead off by bordering it.  If you want a green stripe by doing 2 rows of garter stitch in green.  Doing a strip in the same color as the beads tends to balance the pattern and tie the 2 colors together better since the beads alone can be overpowered by other color.  

 

*(Note:  Here is a tip on stripes from the book, "Mason-Dixon Knitting: The Curious Knitters' Guide: Stories, Patterns, Advice, Opinions, Questions, Answers, Jokes, and Pictures" that really works:  Kay and Ann suggest, as many people do, to carry the yarn up the side, in between stripes.  In addition, and, this is the really good tip, "When changing colors, for the first row of a stripe, pull the new color around your needle from behind the old color"  This works great for alternating stripes of color.  For more tips on stripes, check out the book.)

 

All of this depends of course on what colors you use and the weight of the yarn.  Vivian Hoxbro suggests using a heavier weight for the row with the beads, which does help them stand out more.

 

However you do it, this technique is a great addition to your pattern stitch techniques and looks like you did a lot of work, when you didn't.  And, who doesn't like that?!?!