While hanging around in a local knitting shop, I saw some lovely beaded knitting markers. (You know, those things that slide over needles to mark a specific place in the pattern or to count a block of stitches.) Then I saw the prices, and noticed that for me, at least, they weren’t quite tough enough. And I thought “Well, heck! I can do better than that!” and came home and figured it out. Total cost for 25 markers, 15 dollars, but I used expensive beads.
Materials: 8mm-12mm glass beads, 18 gauge wire (I used copper) (20 gauge will also work, or even 22 for small needle markers)
Tools: Round-nose pliers, wire cutter, big fat marker or knitting needle or something else to wrap around
Technique:
- Cut around 4″ of wire, and make as teeny a loop on one end as possible. (Hammering the end flat to widen it also holds the bead, but snags yarn unless you have a good way to smooth the wire.)
- Slide on a bead, bend the wire 90 degrees to start your wrapped loop. Wrap the wire around the big fat marker, or large knitting needle, or whatever template you’re using. (The wire looks twisted, but that’s just the picture. It’s NOT twisted.)
- Wrap the wire two or three times around the “neck” of the wire above the bead. I find it easier to leave the loop over the template while wrapping.
- Cut the tail off and use your chain-nose (flat) pliers to squash any leftover bit into the coil.
I made some with two beads, to mark the centers on my kntting. There will be some samples at the store after Friday.