This project made me very happy!
The fibre was my favourite colour, I bought it on a rare day out at Unravel, it was pleasant to spin, satisfying to knit and taught me how to add beads. It’s a free pattern, so if you want an Annis of your very own pop over here to Knitty! Don’t be put off by the joy of casting on 360-odd stitches to start with, just add in lots of stitch markers and, honestly, after the first few rows of lace it just whizzes along.
This could also be titled ‘I’m afraid of those nupps’! I’ve started knitting Annis, a crescent-shaped shawlette, using yarn spun from this fibre thatI purchased at Unravel:
Annis starts at the bottom, so you cast on 360+ stitches which is a bit of a challenge. I added lots of stitch markers to ensure I don’t get lost! I’ve not tried nupps before, but I did have some beads around that were just the right colour (and hopefully, if my maths is right, I will have just enough – I don’t want to think about getting most of the way along the last row of beading and finding that I’ve not got enough). After a bit of research I found various descriptions on how to add beads when knitting. Here’s how I have been doing it, in case it helps someone somewhere:
1 The next stitch needs to have a bead on it:
2 The beads are on a thread (I have about 150 beads on there and tied a VERY firm knot around the one on the end so they don’t all explode all over the floor) with a sewing needle that fits through the hole in the beads easily.
3 Thread the sewing needle through the stitch:
4 Remove the stitch from the knitting needle:
5 Then pass the sewing needle back through the bead:
6 Move the bead so it is on the sewing thread:
7 Move it further down so it is on the yarn:
8 Remove the thread from the yarn loop:
9 Put the stitch back on the left-hand needle:
10 Knit the stitch as normal:
11 Repeat as required…
I did read about people using dental floss instead of a needle and thread, but I didn’t have any to hand (sorry Mr Dentist, I may not always tell the truth about my flossing habits…).
Spinstar Creations 
