Getting Closer to the Beaded Edge

http://www.naeemkhan.com/

The more I think about finishing a sweater with beads, the more excited I am about the idea. But it’s been quite a challenge trying to find a technique to pull it off without producing something that will scream, “craft project!”

http://www.lilychinsignaturecollection.com/books.php

 

First, I played with the idea of actually knitting the beads into the sweater. But since all I really want is a beaded edging around a V-neck collar, I'm not sure if it's necessary to knit them in. Especially since most of what I’ve seen is just a bunch of little seed beads that form lumps in the knitting. I want to make a bolder statement at the collar than that.

 

http://www.naeemkhan.com/

Next I fantacized about imitating the designer collections this season. This would mean sewing the beads into a regular pattern along the edge of the sweater. Naeem Khan's sweaters are just to die for, and it is amazing the effect he has created using this technique.

Sweater 23, Summer 2009 Vogue Knitting

There is even a sweater pattern in the Summer Vogue that explores sewing svarovski crystallized elements along the neckline of a sweater. For the past week, I’ve been trolling various websites that sell svarovski crystallized elements. If I could find 1” square or rectangular-shaped crystals that matched the color of my sweater, it would be tempting to use them to ornament my sweater's V-neck. However, there is a stumbling block to this type of ornamentation:

Svarovski sew-on jewels

Crystallized elements are expensive. And since they’re rather small, I’d have to buy a lot of them. That’s my biggest problem with this whole approach. I’m not sure I’m ready to spend $30/$40 on something I’ve never tried before in the hopes that I can pull it off. Good grief, you can knit a small sweater for that amount of money. And since I’m not a couture seamstress, I’m just not sure I would be able to sew all of these beads into a symmetrical enough pattern around the collar to keep it from being obvious that it’s handmade--not in the couture handmade style I've seen on Valentino cardigans but handmade as in a squiggly string of beads that wanders along the collar with a will of its own.

 

The ideal solution would be to buy a pre-made, beaded trim, such as this spectacular rhinestone trim, offered at M&J trimming. This is perfectly symmetrical, so I would be guaranteed an even, finished looking edge. This particular trim was recommended by Martha Stewart. It also happens to cost $70/yard. Hmmmmm. Not going to happen.

 

Still, I liked the idea of the beads being pre-attached to something so that I could ensure a regular, symmetrical placement of the beads around the collar. I discovered the perfect solution on my latest visit to Britex,  the sewing superstore in San Francisco, while browsing in the wedding section. Beaded ribbon:

 What I like about beaded ribbon is that all the work is done for me. The beads are attached already in a symmetrical pattern that the ribbon will hold in place, so all I will have to do is to sew the ribbon on. I tried the ribbon against my ribbed V-neck, Pink, and the glinting trim looked fantastic close to the ribbed edge of the sweater. So that means I can knit a top, finish it with some ribbing, and then lay my ribbon close to the edge and whip-stitch it against the body of the knitted fabric. It doesn't sound as if any super sewing skills are required for this, and I should get a nice clean edge. We’ll see what happens when I get to that stage! I haven’t even started this sweater yet!

 

This is the yarn combination I’ve picked out for my bead-trimmed sweater. I'll be combining Rowan calmer, "Tinkerbell" (on sale for $5/ball from Janette's Rare Yarns) with Rowan kidsilk haze. The resulting knitted fabric will be stretchy but strong, and have a wonderful softness akin to angora. Here is the beaded ribbon I will be using to finish it:

The sheer ribbon is similar enough in color to the yarn that I am hoping it will melt into the knitted fabric, leaving only the glittering beaded edge to catch the eye. Now I just have to find the right pattern. I’ve almost finished my second incarnation of Pink, which I’m calling Blue, and I’m ready to try a new top-down approach. I’m currently speed-dating top-down knitting designs that have set-in sleeves at a worsted weight but I haven’t met my dream pattern yet. Why are simple set-in sleeve stockinette sweaters from the top-down so difficult to find? At least now I am prepared to finish my sweater, before I even begin!