How to Make a Watchband with Beads

Repurposing a watch, adding beads and a clasp, here is the result:

This band was loosely based on the pattern by My Bagatelle. 

Here is how it was made:

Cast on three stitches, using #1 double point needles and waxed cotton cord available at your local craft store.  Knit three rows (for strength and attachment of the clasp on either end of the band).  Then knit in one bead on each row, alternating putting the beads on  either on the first or second stitch, ensuring the bead is facing the front and then purling it in place. 

Attach the watch face to the beaded piece you have completed (about 2 inches long), and bead the other side in the same manner.  Attach clasp end pieces to either side of the band.  Done!

Here is a video showing the process of beading while knitting:


This was a fun and quick project.

Bernat: Scallop Scarf in 3 Different Yarns

Details on Ravelry at this site.  Just finished the Scallop Scarf, a free pattern download provided by  Bernat Design Studio at this website.

Yarns purchased at Lonesome Stone Fiber Mill in Granby, CO. One of a kind BFF Color Line, 50% alpaca, 50% superwash wool, 290 yd; and one skein similarly handpainted of 180 yd (total yardage 470 yd)

I also used two skeins of Lion Brand acrylic in a coordinating color because there was a shortage of the handpainted yarn.

Note: I made only 10 scallops instead of the 12 called for in the pattern. Finished length: 72”

Note 2:  Listened to Steig Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo while finishing this scarf.  A good listen.

Dallas Arboretum in Pictures

It was a privilege to see the Dallas Arboretum, all 66 glorious acres, and to have an escorted personal tour by two informed docents at the park now owned by the city of Dallas, Texas.

Frommer's says:

Dallas may not be celebrated for its cool green beauty, but the area around White Rock Lake, and more specifically the Arboretum and Botanical Garden, is a welcome oasis. Just 15 minutes from the gleaming skyscrapers of downtown Dallas are nearly 70 acres of carefully planted and groomed gardens and natural woodlands, interspersed with a handful of historic residences, that meander along the banks of the lake. The Jonsson Color Garden features one of the nation's largest collections of azaleas, which bloom spectacularly in spring, and nearly 6 acres of chrysanthemums in the fall. And while North Texas is not exactly New England, October and November are as ablaze in color as anything you'll see in this neck of the woods. If you find yourself in Dallas during the torrid summer (or spring and fall) months, the Palmer Fern Deli is a secluded, shady spot where mist-sprayers drop the temperature at least 10° to 15° -- reason enough for a visit here...

One of the more intriguing vignettes consisted of gardening architectural features replicating Beatrix Potter's cottages where her beautifully illustrated imaginary friends live (in the large Children's Garden).

Gigantic Peter Rabbit consisted of ferns and grasses, and even a living rendition of a carrot:

This is Mr. McGregor's potting shed.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

These two adorable sisters in their pink tutus were the absolute sweetest thing I found in the garden. Their mom and nanny were taking them on an outing for a phototgrapic shoot, and allowed me to take their picture.

More pictures later....it was an incredibly hot and humid morning, but glad the opportunity presented to see the Arboretum.