I've added 3 pictures to my bead album on Picturetrail.
Pat from Canvey's Picturetrail
Basically, I was just playing around to see what the end result would be. I used a 1.5mm crochet hook and 34 gauge copper wire bought from an electrical suppliers because I couldn't find very fine wire anywhere else. As a plus, this wire is coated so doesn't tarnish and it is easy enough to string beads on the wire before starting to crochet and then incorporating them into the work as you go.
I wanted to try the crochet because I bought a book recently at a beadfair in Newmarket, UK. The book is called Crochet with Wire by Nancie M Wiseman published by Interweave Press and sells in US for $14.94. It has projects for all crochet skill levels and has a brief "How to" section.
Comments
Bracelets
The viking knit bracelets look very cool! I also like the 'eyeball' beads ;-)
wirecrochet
HI
found your blog on your wire crochet bracelet, you did a great job! 34ga is not the easiest ga to work with. i have been doing wire crochet for about 10 years, and totally love it. i look forward to every new project. i have been writing workshops for Lapidary Journal and their newer issues Step by Step Beads and now Wire. in the past 10 years, 13 have been published, and i understand you can go back and get back projects.
some tips if you like, when you crochet with the wire, try the afghan stitch. you carry it on the hook, so you are limited by the size of the hook, but you get a really nice piece. it appears to be loomed, especially when you bring in beads. i usually work them in as i work each stitch off the hook.
also, you may have to reinforce the edges, when you make a wide piece you will find it will bend or roll up, not retaining the wide flat piece you made. you can get a heavy gauge and weave it on each edge. i will work several short pieces woven in too, to keep the bracelet from bending.
you can do amazing things, my roses, individual petals, is always something that gets attention. people can't imagine you can do all that with wire. i mostly work in silver, soft, and 26,28 and 30. some 32 and 34. my 34ga will be a necklace i think, with swarovski crystals.
to get an easy viking knit, try this. you may remember using a wooden thread spool, with nails hammered into one end. i use 4 nails. you can actually purchase fancy smanchy spools, i still use my wooden spool. we used to use yarn and make long cord, and after so many pot holders and dollhouse rugs, i never could figure out what to do with them. well, if you use wire, you get viking knit. you can do a double stitch, just wrap the wire around twice, the trick, bring the bottomwire over the rest of them as you go around.
i can send you more info if you want to try that, i am spoiled,and only use that way, you don't have to work in ends for starts and finishes and that's all good for me
you did a great job, if you would like to see some of my work,try Imageevent.com. and/or AOL Page
that has links to other sites as well
lots of luck
pat
wild poppy designs
viking knit
Hi I have my own blog and work with wire crochet and beads. I would like to learn viking knit and working with a spool. Please let me know if you know of a tutorial that might help.
Miriam D. Grafer
Wire Crochet with beads and semi-precious stones - Unique Handcrafted Jewelry -- http://adailydecision.blogspot.com/
Link for Viking Knit
Sorry for the delay. I've been away for 5 days helping a son move home. Have a look at the thread on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfsyTn9XCsE&feature=related
and his episode 2 which is advertised on the site. This tutorial doesn't show working with a spool but if you Google "Viking knit tutorial" more tutorials will show up. I don't use a spool as I find it more difficult to work the wire using this method, but this is only a personal preference. I like to see something being made so this tut is excellent. I learnt from a contributor on the Silicon Folly Forum so wind my wire to start on a ruler instead of a dowel shape. I now make lampwork glass beads and recently have started to make "Beaded Treasure Bracelets from the book by Robin Adkins. If you want to see a couple, click on one of the links on the "Recent Blog Posts" on the left of this page if you scroll up.
Wire crochet
You really need small fingers to work with wire and crochet. I tried working with some wire on an art project and since my fingers are too big they kept getting in the way. Plus, the wire made my hands smell like metal.
who would have thought
I really the like the onyx most of all your work. The contrast is sharp. Playing with that wire though might hurt my hands over time. I was thinking that it might look good too woven into some clothing or these swarovski jeans.
Depends on the gauge
Obviously for crochet, you would use a very thin wire. Plus wire comes in a few "softnesses". So there is a wide variety of wire that can be used. It all depends on the type of project and the degree of strength required. All the patterns I've seen specify the type of wire to be used. 34 gauge for instance is so soft and thin that anyone could work it, regardles of the size of their hands.
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