Free As A Bird by Amanda Schwabe

Free As A Bird

Knitting
August 2015
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
9 stitches and 20 rows = 4 inches
in garter stitch
US 0 - 2.0 mm
120 yards (110 m)
3.5" long, 6" circumference (customizable)
English

Add a little bling and a surprising amount of warmth to your day with these beaded wristers. They beautifully cover the pulse point on your wrists, which warms up the blood circulating through your hands and fingers. They’ve been used for years in cold climates like Lithuania and Greenland as an added layer of warmth. They fit perfectly underneath a sweater or mittens and keep the cold from creeping in.

As a knitting project, they’ve become one of my favourite things to make. The knitting is relaxing, interesting (because of the beads), and portable. All the beads are pre-strung onto the yarn using a humble dental floss threader. (That ingenious idea comes from Donna Druchunas, who also has some beautiful wrister patterns available.)

These quick little wristers make perfect gifts and really add a little something special to each outfit, whether long- or short-sleeved.

They’re really useful in air conditioned offices, they don’t get in the way when you’re typing or knitting, and they’re pretty enough to wear anywhere. I keep a pair in my purse for just in case.

To knit a pair, you’ll need about 20-30 grams of fingering-weight yarn (great stashbuster!) and 40 grams of size 8/0 glass seed beads. Make sure you get high-quality Czech or Japanese beads; they’re more uniform, look better, and are easier to string onto the yarn.

Aren’t feathers pretty? My kids are always bringing me random feathers that they’ve found outside, and they’re always convinced that they come from the most amazing birds. (If sea gulls are amazing, then I guess they do.)

I had a dream about a feather many years ago, and I woke up wondering what it meant. I still have no idea, but ever since then, feathers have seemed a little magical to me, too.

Knit these up using the most beautiful beads you can find, and dream of wondrous things. Our bodies need care and woolly coziness, but our minds can always be free as a bird, soaring through our imaginations and dreaming of ways to make the world friendlier and kinder.

Happy knitting. :)