A few months back I met a woman from Canada in a class we were taking and she had a fantastic silver bracelet on....she told me she made it and the best part....she said it was EASY! It looked anything but! After talking to her about the process, I realized that a few YEARS ago I had purchased a book on this very subject. ***Remember, I am the queen of procrastination*** So yesterday I was determined to work on trying this knitting with wire thing just to see how easy it really is. I finished my work moments ago (I still need to get end caps and really finish it) and thought I'd share my experience.
Knitting with wire, also known as Viking Knit, is truely easy. You do have to be aware of keeping the lines of your knitting straight but there is even a way to tidy that up in the end. To try this out, I use 28g fine silver wire. Start out by using only a piece 16 inches or so long since the wire can get a little wild to control. I also experienced some knotting of the wire.....my suggestion is to work a little slow at first and hold that long piece of working wire down with your thumb to better control it.
This is what it looks like as you are working with knitting the wire. As with learning anything, it takes a little practice to get the hang of it. Keeping the loops in line can be tough but you do get better as you move along.
Once you have the length you want.....the knitted length gets longer once you pull it thru the draw plate....remove the dowl and put a knitting needle in its place. Roll between a piece of leather to even up lines and tidy it up a bit.
Start with the larges hole and pull your knitted piece thru. You might want to use pliers to hang onto it. Keep pulling thru smaller and smaller holes until you achieve the look you want.
The knitted chain feels great. Mine still needs to be completed with end caps and closure...I am making a bracelet but this is what the finished piece looks like. I think I'll liver of sulfer it and throw it in the tumbler once I have my closure in place. This one will be mine. I still need to perfect my skills but with some glass beads and a fun toggle I think I'll have a great new addition to my jewelry line!!!
