Beyond BOBBOL
at the KnitHeartStrings.com Membership Site

Monthly learn-and-knit-alongs, patterns, tutorials, tips & techniques

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We're going Beyond Bits Of Beads and Bits Of Lace in 2014 and continuing on into 2015! Beyond BOBBOL carries on the tradition of learn-and-knit-a-longs for small projects while learning and practicing in bit-sized steps.

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Index of Beyond BOBBOL 2014 Tutorials, Tips & Techniques

January's featured KAL project: I Heart Filet Lace

• Getting Started with Filet Lace Knitting: Making round lace eyelets into squares
  Filet Lace Knitting aims to replicate even-count lace designs from other needlecrafts such as filet crochet, drawn thread embroidery and net darning.
• Tips for Selecting Materials and Supplies for Filet Lace Knitting
  For a satisfying experience in both the process and outcome of knitting filet lace, keep these things in mind when selecting your materials and supplies.
• Making open squares in filet lace knitting: The ktd decrease
  The ktd is fast once you practice and get into the rhythm. I hope you enjoy adding it to your knitting bag of stitches as much as I have.
• Making Filled Squares in Filet Lace Knitting
  The how and why of using yokp elongated stitches to make filled squares in filet lace knitting.
• Bonus: Beaded Filet Lace Knitting
  I must admit I have bitten by the bead bug. It doesn't take much effort to find a reason to add beads to almost everything. How about you?
• Blocking in Progress for Natural Fibers
  You don't need to wait until you complete your scarf to block and prove to yourself that you are on the right track. 5 Steps of Blocking in Progress
• Pleasing Reversibility: Looking at the other side of lace
  Sometimes it isn't just a matter of right and wrong. The other side of knitting, it can be nice looking, too. I call this Pleasing Reversibility.
• Filet Lace: It's An Upside Down World
  Don't try this with most lace! Filet lace knitting is an exception to the norm that rows cannot just be knit in reverse order.

February's featured KAL project: Irish Coffee Cozy

• Getting Started with Beaded Garter Stitch Knitting
  Don't be concerned if you have not knit with beads before, or you need a refresher.
• Sometimes it's the simple thing in knitting often forgotten that work the best. Using the simple half-hitch cast on might be one of those.
• I Hate to Purl and more about Beaded Garter Stitch
  For those who hate to purl, or prefer to knit rather than purl, you will love beaded garter stitch.
• Overcoming a Knot Too Happy Encounter
  What to do if you run into a knot. Step-by-step photo tutorial how to transfer beads to a temporary thread so you don't have to re-string beads.
• No-sew Minimalist Seam using simple half-hitch cast on and 3-needle bind off
  This no-sew method uses the live stitches rather than a bound off edge, so the seam is even less bulky than the minimalist seaming sewn method.
• Bonus: Rotating even-count grid designs
  Because of the square nature of beaded garter stitch, even count designs like this little beaded shamrock can easily be rotated as though it were doing cartwheels.
• Bonus: Kitchener Garter Stitch
  Instructions for joining with a sewn grafting method to produce an invisible seam in garter stitch.

March's KAL: Get Ready for Spring Lace Leaves Scarf

• Can I Use This Yarn?
  If you are concerned about whether a yarn will work for a lace project, this article will address some points to give you the confidence to proceed.
• Roadmap to Framing Lace Like a Piece of Art
  The approach I often use for end-to-end, one-piece scarves with a central lace pattern surrounded by a knit-as-you-go lace border.
• Starting the Spring Lace Leaves Scarf
  Take a lace knitting journey with Spring Lace Leaves Scarf to learn, reinforce, grow confident, be inspired and enjoy.
• Combining Knitted Lace and Lace Knitting
  Keeping up with both knitted lace and lace knitting in the same row.
• Bias Effects in Lace Patterning
  Some of the most interesting and versatile lace stitch patterns are the simplest to knit. Many beautiful lace patterns make extensive use of bias.
• Bonus: an option to beading the Lace Leaf pattern stitch
  Bead placement to enhance the leaf outline of a lace pattern stitch.
• Completing the Framed Lace
  Basically, the final rows of a one-piece end-to-end scarf with inner and outer borders is a reverse of the beginning. But there are some differences to be noted.
• Bonus: Going Halfsies with the Pull Over Join
  Converting an end-to-end scarf into a matching ends version of 2 identical halves joined with "pull over" bind off.

April's KAL: Tea-time Serviette

• Choosing thread/yarn if you plan to dye
  The most critical step to successful tea dyeing is your thread choice.
• Edging Options
  Tea-time Serviette begins at the outer edge with a delightful Beaded Petit Scallop Edging. You can also consider one of these other edging options.
• Judy's Straw Trick
  Judy Gibson's trick for using a straw to help beads jump onto your needle.
• Long Tail Beaded Cast On
  This beaded cast on is very attractive because the beads will position themselves away from the fabric's edge, giving a picot effect along the border.
• Petit Scallop Edging
  Tea-time Serviette features a dainty lace Petit Scallop edging that can either be started with a beaded cast on or left plain without beads.
• Zooming Along on the Center Area
  Making a Square in 4 Triangular Sections. The basics of outside-in square shaped circular knitting plus a few tidbits for the ever-curious knitter.
• Tea Dyeing
  Tea dyeing is an easy way to give common white thread a lovely vintage look. Dyeing can be done either before knitting or afterwards.
• Bonus Companion Project: Beverage Coaster
  Make a smaller companion piece for your Tea-time Serviette. This variation can be used as a large beverage coaster or teapot mat to protect your table.

May's KAL: Precious Treasures, Lorna's Light Necklace Purse

• The Challenge of Tiny
  This month's Precious Treasures KAL combines lace knitting and beadwork in the tiniest project we've attempted so far with tiny needles, thread and beads.
• Counting beads needed for a project
  Many patterns omit exact number of beads needed for a project. Especially if you are stringing by hand, it is nice to know. This is how to figure it out for yourself.
• Purl Twist Right
  I expect the p1tr (purl 1 twist right) stitch used in Lorna's Light might have been new to you. It is used for firmer fabric and locking in tiny beads.
• Ideas for Beaded and Twisted Cords
  A fun part of making a necklace purse is coming up with a coordinating cord to go around your neck. Ideas and tips to make your own unique necklace cord.

June's KAL: Charity Knitting Made Simply Elegant

• Easy 1-2-3 Pattern Outline for Elegantly Simple Bookmark
  I hope you enjoy knitting this little bookmark as much as I do, and that it will get you off to a good start in practicing to make the larger baby blanket (if you want to).
• Elegantly Simple Feather and Fan Shetland Lace
  Feather and fan lace is popular because it looks complicated, but usually is easy to knit. For the Elegantly Simple KAL, we have both elegant and simple.
• Elegantly Simple Left Slanting Triple Decrease
  Step-by-step photo tutorial. The left-slanting triple decrease produces beautifully embossed, sculpted lines in the Elegantly Simple stitch pattern.
• Step-by-step Right Slanting Triple Decrease
  Continuation of the photo tutorial series on the two triple decreases used in the Elegantly Simple feather and fan Shetland lace stitch pattern. If you are a visual person, this step-by-step photo series is for you!
• Bonus: Adapting Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket Pattern to Make a Stole
  You can easily adapt the Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket pattern to a rectangular stole made with your yarn. Here’s an outline.

July's KAL: Crossed Loop Market Bag

• Lace-Like Non-Lace
  I call the method used to make this stitch "cross looped". It's lace-like because of it's openness, but not technically lace.

August's KAL: Lacy Maizy Wrap

• Step-by-Step Cable Without a Cable Needle
  Forego the cable needle and just re-position the stitches using your knitting needles.

September's KAL: Spot Woven Dishcloth

• Tips for Spot Weaving and Troika Technique
  Learn to spot weave and handle 3 working yarn ends for the troika technique.
• Spot Weaving for Other Kitchen Accessories
  Since Spot Woven Stitch produces a dense, non-stretchy fabric, it can be used to make sturdy kitchen accessories like dishcloths, hot pads and placemats.
• In-the-round Spot Weaving
  To expand the possibilities for spot woven projects even more, here are instructions for the in-the-round version.
• Patterns for Troika Technique
  Troika Technique uses 3 strands of yarn that are worked 1 strand each row in a rotating sequence. Try this interesting technique in one of these patterns.

October's KAL: Smoke Ring with Lace Edging

• Picking a Yarn
  The "smoke" part of the name smoke ring refers to the light-as-air fibers with superb warmth for their weight that are often used in making smoke rings.
• Sizing for a Custom Fit
  If there is need to resize a smoke ring pattern, it will usually not be major amounts. One of these strategies will likely suffice.
• What Goes Into the Design of a Smoke Ring?
  Spark excitement in how you can use the canvas of a simple smoke ring to play around with Form, Stitch Pattern(s), Embellishment and Structure.
• Don't Overthink It
  Sometimes it is the easy things that can trip us up in our knitting. Don’t overthink this month’s 2-stitch decorative bind off edging.
• Blocking a Smoke Ring
  My motto is to keep it simple.

November's KAL: Beaded Mosaic Knitting

• Unbeaded Variation of Mosaic Knitting
  Beading the slip-stitch Mosaic pattern is optional. So if you are just not into beads or don’t have easy access to them, I do hope you will nevertheless give the Mosaic Basket Weave Hat pattern a try for this month’s KAL.

December's KAL: Knitted Snowflakes

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