My grandmother left me a hand-knit dress decorated with butterfly stitch and hand-sewn beads. I loved the design and wanted to recreate it but felt that all that hand sewing was fussy. I worked out a method to incorporate beads into the stitch itself. Honestly, it may be as fussy as hand sewing, but I will leave that decision to you.

The shape is inspired by the 1950s-era silhouettes with set-in sleeves, shaped shoulders, and a dramatic increase from the waist to the bust. It is intended to be worn with 0–2” of ease at the bust. The tubular cast-on and bind-off methods create a refined edge that suits this design.