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by Elizabeth Klett

When I was in grade school, I was obsessed with making friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss. My friends and I would spend hours (both in and out of class) knotting colorful cuffs and trading them with each other.

These beaded versions are the next generation of friendship bracelets. Because of their flower motifs (and because of my personal and professional obsession with Shakespeare), they're named after the young heroine of The Winter's Tale.

Perdita is strongly associated with flowers of spring and summer, and she also likes to give them out to her friends: "Now, my fairest friend, / I would I had some flowers of the spring that might / Become your time of day." These bracelets are quick, easy, and inexpensive to create -- and they're guaranteed to be a hit with your friends.

model: Elizabeth Klett photos: Donald Klett, Elizabeth Klett

SIZE
XS [S, M, L, XL] (shown in size S)
 
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Length: 5[6, 7, 8, 9] inches
Width - Lily of the Valley: 2.75 inches
Width - Lilac and Bluebell: 2.25 inches
 
MATERIALS

DMC Perle Cotton, size 5 [100% cotton; 27.3yd/25m per 5g skein]; color: shown in #3348 Green, #712 Cream, and #3325 Blue; 1[1, 2, 2, 2] skeins per bracelet

1 set US #1 (2.25mm) needles
Note: Although these bracelets are worked back and forth, rather than in the round, the short length of double-point needles makes them a good choice for this project.
1 US B/2.25mm crochet hook
Size 10 seed beads (see directions for quantities)
Beading needle or dental floss threader
Tapestry needle
2 x .25 inch buttons
 
GAUGE
35 sts/52 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here]

Sl1-k2tog-psso: Slip next stitch as if to knit, knit next 2 stitches together, pass slipped stitches over stitch just worked. 2 sts decreased.

Bead1: Insert the needle into the stitch to be knit, slide a bead up close to the needle, and pull the bead through to the front as you complete the stitch. The bead should sit on the right leg of the "V" formed by the knit stitch.

For more information about beaded knitting, check out this article.


DIRECTIONS

Lily of the Valley (Shown in Green above):
String 40[50, 60, 70, 80] beads onto the yarn.
Using long-tail cast on method, CO 25 sts, leaving a tail of at least 12 inches.
K 4 rows, then work Lily of the Valley pattern as follows:

Odd-numbered Rows 1-13 [WS]: P all sts.
Row 2 [RS]: P1, ssk, k6, [yo, k1] twice, sl1-k2tog-psso, [k1, yo] twice, k6, k2tog, p1.
Row 4 [RS]: P1, ssk, k5, yo, k1, yo, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yo, k1, yo, k5, k2tog, p1.
Row 6 [RS]: P1, ssk, k4, yo, k1, yo, bead1, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, bead1, yo, k1, yo, k4, k2tog, p1.
Row 8 [RS]: P1, ssk, k3, yo, k1, yo, bead1, k3, sl1-k2tog-psso, k3, bead1, yo, k1, yo, k3, k2tog, p1.
Row 10 [RS]: P1, ssk, k2, yo, k1, yo, bead1, k4, sl1-k2tog-psso, k4, bead1, yo, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, p1.
Row 12 [RS]: P1, ssk, [k1, yo] twice, bead1, k5, sl1-k2tog-psso, k5, bead1, [yo, k1] twice, k2tog, p1.
Row 14 [RS]: P1, ssk, yo, k1, yo, bead1, k6, sl1-k2tog-psso, k6, bead1, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, p1.
Repeat Rows 1-14, 3[4, 5, 6, 7] times more.

P 1 row.
K 4 rows.

BO all sts loosely and break yarn, leaving a long tail (at least 12 inches).

Lilacs
(Shown in Cream):
String 32[40, 48, 56, 64] beads onto the yarn.

Using long-tail cast on method, CO 21 sts, leaving a long tail (at least 12 inches).

K 4 rows, then work Lilac pattern as follows:

Row 1 [RS]: P1, k3, k2tog, k2, yo, p5, yo, k2, ssk, k3, p1.

Even-numbered Rows 2-8 [WS]: P8, k5, p8.
Row 3 [RS]: P1, k2, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, p2, bead1, p2, k1, yo, k2, ssk, k2, p1.

Row 5 [RS]: P1, k1, k2tog, k2, yo, k2, p1, bead1, p1, bead1, p1, k2, yo, k2, ssk, k1, p1.

Row 7 [RS]: P1, k2tog, k2, yo, k3, p2, bead1, p2, k3, yo, k2, ssk, p1.
Repeat Rows 1-8, 7[9, 11, 13, 15] times more.

K 4 rows.

BO all sts loosely and break yarn, leaving a long tail (at least 12 inches).

Bluebell
(Shown in Blue):
String 35 [42, 49, 56, 63] beads onto the yarn.

Using long-tail cast on method, CO 21 sts, leaving a long tail (at least 12 inches).

K 4 rows, then work Bluebell pattern as follows:

Row 1: P3, ssk, k5, yo, k1, yo, k5, K2tog, p3.

Row 2: P1, k2, p2tog, p5, yo, p1, yo, p5, p2tog tbl, k2, p1.

Row 3: P3, ssk, k4, yo, k1, bead1, k1, yo, k4, k2tog, p3.

Row 4: P1, k2, p2tog, p4, yo, p3, yo, p4, p2tog tbl, k2, p1.

Row 5: P3, ssk, k3, yo, [k1, bead1] twice, k1, yo, k3, k2tog, p3.
Row 6: P1, k2, p2tog, p3, yo, p5, yo, p3, p2tog tbl, k2, p1.
Row 7: P3, ssk, k2, yo, k1, bead1, k3, bead1, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, p3.
Row 8: P1, k2, p2tog, p2, yo, p7, yo, p2, p2tog tbl, k2, p1.
Row 9: P3, ssk, k1, yo, k1, bead1, k5, bead1, k1, yo, k1, k2tog, p3.
Row 10: P1, k2, p2tog, p1, yo, p9, yo, p1, p2tog tbl, k2, p1.
Repeat Rows 1-10 4[5, 6, 7, 8] times more.

K 4 rows.

BO all sts loosely and break yarn, leaving a long tail (at least 12 inches).
FINISHING

Block bracelet to finished measurements given above, pulling the lace out gently at the sides until it is flat and the pattern is clearly visible.

With crochet hook, use tail from BO to work single crochet along BO edge as follows:

Work along first half-inch of edge, chain 6; reattach yarn to edge and work single crochet along edge to to half an inch before end of row, chain 6; reattach yarn to edge and work single crochet to end. Break yarn and draw through last st, pull tight.

Use yarn tail from CO to sew buttons to CO edge of bracelet, opposite buttonholes.

Weave in ends.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Elizabeth Klett knits, reads, writes, and sews in Houston, TX, where she also teaches Shakespeare, Women's Studies and Honors courses.

She chronicles her quest to balance academia and her crafting obsessions at her blog, A Mingled Yarn.
Pattern & images © 2006 Elizabeth Klett. Contact Elizabeth