So happy birthday to Mandy! For her birthday, I wanted to do something that incorporated her interests.  She’s into beading, so I did my very first knitted scarf with beads.  The design is from Swallow Hill Creations Ltd, called ‘April’.

      

(click to embiggen)

The pattern was fairly straightforward. It took some getting used to when it came to working with the rayon and beads.  I had to pre-load all of the beads onto the yarn prior to beginning the actual knitting. This was a bit of a challenge when it came to pulling up the yarn as I was knitting. Also, I recommend using bamboo circular knitting needles.  The yarn is slippery and the weight of the beads make the project want to slip right off the end. It’s a lot safer to knit using circular.

The finished product has a nice weight to it and is still cool enough for summer. It could be a scarf or a belt. I’m very happy with the finish, overall and hoping Mandy likes it!