Sizes: 35" (38" - 41" - 44" - 48" - 53" - 57" - 61") finished garment chest measurement
This gorgeous beaded hand knit jacket is the perfect cover for elegant events. The beading is striking, while not overwhelming, and the couture finishes make it perfect for weddings, from a bridal jacket to a mother-of-the-bride ensemble. This little tailored designer knit jacket is also perfect eveningwear for special occasions.
The construction of this beaded jacket is unique. My collection of original stranded colorwork jacket patterns demonstrates my "addiction" to the heavenly depth and body produced by stranding with fingering-weight cotton. I have wanted to try replicating that fabric in a single color for some time now, and this beaded knit jacket does so. Indeed, I have stranded (or 'twined') the entire knitted jacket with 2 strands of 1 color. This technique is also called 'twined knitting'. It is a very fast technique for creating density with finer stitches while maintaining flexibility and drape, as opposed to using beefier yarn with far less tailored styling and class. It can be a bit boring as the entire body is worked in one piece up to the armholes, but it goes fairly quickly to finish after that, and I am extremely satisfied with the result. Twining also makes the knitted fabric water-resistant. 
. See detail photo to the right of couture finished inside back neck.
The beaded Chanel collar includes a knit under-collar for an immaculate couture finish. It also provides even more structural support to the stranding and beading of the outer-collar. The Chanel collar easily stands on its own. Crisply turned bottom edges of the body and sleeves are hemmed, and the front faced picot edges are worked in a very tight knit to provide firm support. A few beads run along the bottom inch of the body and sleeves as well.
Instructions for all 8 sizes include measurements throughout, in order to allow for personal modifications as desired. An illustrated beading tutorial is included. Beads are conveniently and easily added one-by-one, rather than threading hundreds onto the yarn before beginning to knit.
While I used fingering/sock-weight cotton since I live in heat and humidity most of the year, any yarn which produces gauge will work well. The 3/2 perle cotton (Size 3 perle; 1260 yds per lb; 18 wraps per inch) which I used also lends itself to dyeing easily in fiber-reactive Procion MX dye, which I do frequently. In fact, I plan to dye the beaded knit jacket a pale pastel to cover a slightly darker hand-dyed dress. A rough mock-up of a similar idea appears to the left, below. I have already tested the pearl beads, and they will remain white.
An even rougher scissors cut-and-paste mock-up of the tailored knit beaded jacket over a bridal gown is illustrated on the right, below, to give some idea of how that option might look.
Knit gauge in Stockinette Stitch with only one strand of yarn is 7 stitches and 10 rows per inch on Size 3 US needles (to provide a quick reference for you to compare your own yarns). Required Yardage: 1820 (1930, 2240, 2440, 2750, 3160, 3500, 3950) yds. Cones of 3/2 mercerized cotton are available for $20-$25/lb (1260 yds/lb) from many sources online.
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