Aquitaine Cuffs

The first thing I did as I was picking out the beads, was to test them to see if the crochet hook would fit through the bead holes, and then if I could pull the yarn through.  I found that my size 14 hook wants to split the yarn, if I’m not really careful about pulling the yarn down on the hook to thin it out before sliding the bead over it.  I have a little larger hook that works better, and will pull the yarn through the larger holed cubes, so will probably end up using it for them (the hole in them is sort of diamond shaped, so I turn the bead as I’m pulling  it through, to get it oriented correctly.

My wrist measured 6.5”, and I couldn’t decide which size to knit (I'm exactly between sizes), so I measured about an inch or two up my arm (because the wrist part is knit about 3” long) and found it to be 7.5”.  The pattern says it should stretch up to 1.5”, so I decided to make the middle size which is 7” finished, because I didn’t want the cast of end to end up tight on my arm.  Therefore, I marked up my instructions, underlining all the numbers for the size I’m knitting.  

In the beginning of the instructions it tells you how many beads to put on the “outer” thread of the thread ball, for the beading options.  I’m doing option 1, which calls out four bead types, but in looking at the pattern picture, I only see 3 beads used (I even compared the picture and charts to see which beads were what letter – I think C and D are separated, just because the D beads are put on with the crochet hook and it was easier to chart), and laid out my bead packages on the table A = drops for edging, B = round size 6 seed beads, C and D = cube beads (mine say 3S at the right side of the number on the tube, so I don’t know if they are a bit smaller than yours). 

I laid the packages on the table with A on the left and C/D on the right and then counted out piles on the beading mat in the same order.  Once I knew I had the right number of each one, I started threading the piles of beads onto the thread from right to left, because you need them in the opposite order, so that the A beads can be used first on the edge, as you are casting on, and the others are used later, as you are going up the cuff.  If you look closely, you might notice that there are some cubes that will be on the cuff that will be added in between the seed beads, but those are the ones that we add on the decreases with the crochet hook.  

Before packing it up, I made a little butterfly at the end of the yarn with two half-hitches to secure it, because I don't want to chance losing any beads as it gets moved around in the bag, before I get it cast-on!

Here's my basket, loaded up and ready for knitting....