Last week we spent a lot of time looking at projects for Valentine's Day, but there's another fun holiday coming up later this month: Mardi Gras. You might not think about knitting something for Mardi Gras, but I have this cute, easy Knit Bead Necklace that, while it doesn't quite have the flash of the original Mardi Gras beads, is still a fun project and something you can actually wear throughout the year.

This Knit Bead Necklace will help you get ready for Mardi Gras! © Sarah E. White.

I made mine in purple but you can choose from any of the traditional Mardi Gras colors (that would include green and gold) or knit yours in any color you like for a project you can still wear on Ash Wednesday and beyond.

These are also a great quick little project to enhance your kid's stash of dress-up clothes; they're easy to pull over your head but aren't hard because they're knit. If making for a really small child you might want to use stuffing in the bead holes rather than actual big wooden beads.

There are so many great books about color knitting that it was hard to limit myself to just a handful to talk about in this post (I'm sure I'll share more as this exploration of color continues.)

For learning about the very basics of color knitting, I like Melissa Leapman's Color Knitting the Easy Way. This book covers all the ways you can add color to your work while using just one color in each row, such as stripes and slip-stitch knitting. Her Mastering Color Knitting goes into the more involved but still totally doable techniques of stranded knitting, intarsia and double knitting.

Kristin Nicholas is another master of color knitting with a couple great books to her credit. Kristen Knits and Color by Kristin are both fun books with a wide variety of patterns using a wide variety of techniques for infusing color (a lot of color!) into your knitting.

Specific to stranded colorwork and Fair Isle, there are several great options. Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting is, of course, a classic, and she's actually from that part of the world, so you know she knows what she's talking about. I also like Fearless Fair Isle Knitting, which uses basic, classic motifs to produce a variety of projects, and The New Stranded Colorwork for pure whimsy -- it has a project based on a Monty Python skit!

Do you have a favorite book about color knitting in general or stranded knitting in particular? I'd love to hear about it!

Thanks to my pal Jamie at Interweave for letting me know about the scholarship program that's now available for knitters wishing to attend the Interweave Knitting Lab events in either Manchester, N.H., or San Mateo, Calif. this fall (the New Hampshire event is Oct. 4-7, while the one in California is Nov. 1-4).

These events bring knitters from across the country together with experts from around the world for four days of intensive learning about all aspects of knitting. This year you can learn from Barbara Walker, June Hemmons Hiatt, Ann Budd and all sorts of other knitting luminaries, as well as explore the knitters' market, take classes on all sorts of knitting techniques and meet other passionate knitters.

The cost for the event hasn't been finalized yet, but the scholarship program is open from now until March 15. To take part, knitters must be 18 or older and must demonstrate an interest in building their knitting skills and being part of the larger knitting community. Applicants will have to answer questions exploring their knitting education, goals and favorite techniques, and they will also have to have a letter of recommendation from someone familiar with your skills and interest in the craft.

The scholarship will allow the recipient to attend as many workshops, lectures and events as they can fit into their schedule. Recipients will still be responsible for transportation, lodging, meals and other expenses associated with the event.

I really want to make it to one of these some day and I encourage any of you with an interest in increasing your knitting skills and learning from the masters to apply for this great program!

One of the things that I think stops people from learning color knitting techniques is the requirement to read knitting charts. But the truth is, following charts -- especially basic color knitting charts, especially if you're knitting in the round -- is really easy and shouldn't be a deterrent at all from knitting exactly what you want to knit.

The first step in making your own knitting chart. © Sarah E. White.

Another problem some knitters may have is that they want to add a specific motif to something but they just can't find the right pattern out there on the web or in any of the color knitting books they might have. But it's really not that difficult to make your own knitting charts for stranded knitting or intarsia, even if you don't have a lot of artistic skill.

I like the challenge of making my own charts, and sometimes it's absolutely necessary to do so. For instance, I get questions all the time about charts for various licensed images or characters, like Elmo, or the logo for an NFL team, for example, but those sorts of charts simply aren't available -- and if they are, they're probably a violation of copyright. But if you make your own chart for your own use, it's fine to knit a sweater with Elmo on the front or an afghan bedecked with the Giants logo (or the Patriots, or whoever).

So how do you physically make a chart? You can either use graph paper, which I how I do my "first draft," or you can use one of a number of computer programs that include knitting symbols to put into your chart. (I've reviewed a free on, Jacque's Knitting Chart Maker, but there are paid options as well.)

Have you even made your own knitting charts? I'd love to hear about your experience!