Sizes: 37 1/2" (41 1/4" - 45" - 48 3/4" - 52 1/2" - 56 1/4" - 60") finished garment chest measurement
This hand knit beaded top lends an elegance to whatever it is worn with. I particularly love wearing it over a drapey spaghetti-strap dress. It can also elevate a skirt and jacket to evening wear status.
This fall I plan to make a spaghetti-strapped dress in a bumpy rayon-acetate fabric and dye the sleeveless knit beaded top to match. I have already tested the pearl beads; they do not pick up the Procion MX fiber-reactive dye that I use.
Beading is very easily done with a crochet hook on individual stitches, so there is no stringing of thousands of beads onto the working yarn. Illustrated instructions are included.
This sleeveless hand knit top would be darling WITHOUT beads as well. It would be lovely in plain stockinette, or a favorite pattern stitch could be substituted in order to dress it up.
Main body is knitted in the round up to the armholes. Shoulders are about 3/4" narrower than normal for a more slenderizing look.
Bottom edging is knit on with Ecko brand turkey skewers! I use them quite often for hand knitting lace. They equate to standard Size 00 US needles. The edging along the neckline and armholes is a pared-down version of the bottom edging.
Length of the knit beaded shirt in the directions is about 4" below natural waistline, plus the 1/2" knit edging. The styling of the knit beaded top in the illustration extends only 1 1/2" below the waistline since it is worn over a dress. Detailed instructions include measurements for all 7 sizes all along the way so that personal adjustments may be made as desired.
This is my favorite yarn for clothing and socks here in Texas: 5/2 perle cotton (but any yarn producing gauge would work). Besides feeling light and cool, I often dye it with Procion MX fiber-reactive dyes. This makes buying it by the cone all the more attractive. Size 5 perle is a fine fingering-weight cotton yarn (2100 yds per lb, or about 26 wraps/inch) and can be found in yarn and weaving shops or online for about $16 - $20 per pound cones.
Required Yardage: 1045 (1162, 1367, 1491, 1538, 1801, 2338) yds
Knit gauge in Stockinette Stitch (knit 1 row, purl 1 row) is 8 stitches by 11 rows per inch on Size 2 US needles. This will produce a stable gauge, and if cotton is used, it will not distort or stretch out of shape (which can happen when gauges are knit too loosely).
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