I have always loved the little beaded purses and, in particular, the fancy trinkets made in the drawing rooms during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. In Jane Austen's novel, Emma, I was intrigued by the way that Emma tried to influence Harriet's heart by trying to find a suitor for her, in effect, tugging on Harriet's heartstrings. Inspired by the scene where a gypsy tried to snatch Harriet's reticule, I decided to make a bead-knitted reticule. After working on the design for a bit, I decided that beaded knitting using the slip-stitch method would work best. Working on this intricate project with very small needles and a tiny cable needle gave me a new appreciation for the skill and time required for the bead knitting that I love. To keep trinkets from slipping through the knitted fabric, I slipped a stitch behind each bead, which helped to keep the beads in place as well. I love the way the beads catch the sunlight and imagine how it would sparkle as Harriet walked through the lane on a summer's day and how the candlelight would catch the beads at an evening dance.Finished Size: 8" circumference at opening; 15" circumference at widest point; about 6" long; each drawstring measures about 13¼" long. Yarn: Nazli Gelin Garden Size 10 (100% mercerized cotton; 306 yd [280 m]/50 g): #01 white, 3 balls. Distributed by Universal Yarn. Yarn Weight: #2 - Fine Needles: Size 1 (2.25 mm) doublepointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge. Gauge: One rep of Reticule chart = 2½" at widest point and 31 rows = 2" in Reticule chart; 12 rows of drawstring = 4". Originally Published: Jane Austen Knits Summer 2012
