Here is a fun project that makes an amazing wall hanging. It seems like a lot to thread and sequence almost 500 beads, but it is surprisingly fast and easy.
Materials: 3 oz Sugar and Cream Worsted White yarn, Size I (5.5 mm) hook or size to give gauge, 6 x 9 mm pony beads in black (214), orange, (218) and yellow (60); 2 12 1/4” x 5/16” wooden dowels (sold as 12” dowels), 4 acorn shaped end caps, thin cotton and sewing needle to thread the beads, scissors, rustproof pins for blocking.
Gauge: 13 sc = 4”, 4 sc rows = 1 1/8”. Panel is 11 ½” wide by 10 ½” long without the joining strips and can be blocked to 12” wide.
Special stitches-
Bead sc-push bead up to work, insert hook in st and draw up a loop, yo and through 2 loops. Bead is pushed up before the sc loop is formed.
Back-to-front bead (btf) sc-Insert hook in stitch from back to front and draw up a loop. Working thread is to the front. Push bead up to work, yo and through 2 loops. Bead is pushed up after the sc loop is formed.
To begin, thread the beads onto thin thread as stated above and push onto the worsted yarn. Refer to the graph for the correct sequence of beads (Note there are graphs for both right-handed and left-handed crochet). Ch 38 to begin
Row 1 (WS)-Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 36 ch, ch 1, turn. 37 sc
Rows 2-4-Sc in each st across, ch 1, turn.
Row 5-Follow graph to place the beads, sc in first 4 sts, bead sc in next 2 sts, sc in next 24 sts, bead sc in next 2 sts, sc in last 5 sts, ch 1, turn.
Row 6-Follow the graph to place the beads. Sc in first 4 sts, back-to-front bead sc in next 3 sts, sc in next 22 sts, back-to-front bead sc in next 3 sts, sc in last 5 sts, ch 1, turn.
Rows 7-32- Continue to follow the graph to place the beads. Work bead sc’s for odd numbered rows and back-to-front bead sc’s for even numbered rows.
Rows 33-36-Sc in each st across, ch 1, turn. End after row 36. Weave in ends.’
Joining strips-Make 8
Leaving a long tail to sew strip to panel, ch 6
Row 1 (WS)- Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, ch 1, turn. 5 sc
Rows 2-9-Sc in each st across, ch 1, turn.
Row 10-Sc in each st across, end off.
Cord-Ch 7 and wrap the chain around the groove in one of the end caps. Sl st in first ch made to form a snug ring around the end cap (adjust chain count if necessary). Ch 50 or number of ch needed for desired length of cord, ch 7 (or adjusted number) more, wrap around a second end cap and sl st in first additional ch made. End off.
Assembly- With RS facing out, attach yarn needle to starting tail and sew through bottom of chain, top of row 10, and 5 sts of panel to join. Secure end, weave in ends. Four strips should be placed at top and bottom of panel.
Finishing. Weave in all ends. Block to 12” wide or width of dowel between end caps. Thread top and bottom dowels through the joining strips.
See designer page by Hazel Furst on Ravelry.com for graphs and photographs of this project.