Requires 7000 size 8/0 beads - Delicas or other “light”, high quality bead are recommended

This shawl was a long time in the making. It started from a competition. The competition produced a shawl that was impossible to re-create; that was never intended to be re-created. So I created another shawl; one that others could knit. Hence the birth of Rhiannon’s Wrap.

This shawl has two surfaces; the knit itself, intricate lace and shaping. The other surface is the many beads that sit on top of the shawl; they form their own pattern and add a second dimension of light and life to the shawl. The many beads glimmer and glitter with each motion, they accentuate and create shape as the shawl is worn. This shawl is a piece of jewelery.

Each point is accented with a hand-knit, beaded tassel – another source of light and movement.

The wrap starts at the center back; the “arms” are knit out from two sides of the square, and tapered down to the front points. The bulk of the beads for this shawl are placed with a 0.75mm crochet hook. The beaded loops at the center of the back motif are pre-strung, as are the beads for the tassels.

Note – this yarn must be strong with a high silk content in order to carry the weight of the beads; the sample was knit with Buffalo Wool Co. Sexy, a 50% bison and 50% silk blend in the Rhiannon colourway.

Note – make sure that the beads are good quality and as light as possible, the 7000 Delicas only weighed 250 grams. Sample used 24K dipped Delicas.