Posts Tagged ‘wire jewelry’
Colored Wire for Viking Knit
I recently had someone ask me if there was a good colored wire that could be used for viking knit jewely. You know, a colored wire that would survive repeated travels through a draw plate, and not look all mottled because the color flaked/rubbed off. Guess what -- I found one!
I've tried several brands, with varying results. One thing I quickly learned was not to use one that was plated. I'm talking about the wires that are bright and colorful and shiny -- beautiful on the spool, but starts degrading when you're working it. (Let alone try to put it through the draw plate.)
Before today, my standard wires were red brass (resembles 18 kt gold) and copper, because of the coating issue. I was able to get some wire from the local Joann store which was fairly decent, as long as you only sent it through the drawplate twice. It's manufactured by a company called Darice.
A New Kid in Town
A few months ago I had heard about a brand called Zebra Wire, but only recently did I get some to try it out. And am I ever happy I did (and sorry I waited so long)!
To the above right are two samples I made, using 26 gauge Zebra Wire in magenta. I did two double-knit chains, and passed them through the draw plate relentlessly. Well, maybe not relentlessly, but the top chain was sent through 6 different holes on the draw plate, and it came through beautifully!
The bottom chain was drawn down less, only 4 times. It had more petals, and I didn't want to have the chain any narrower anyway.
Still, as you can see from these extreme close-up photos, the color stayed on the wire! (Any white-ish color you may see is just light reflection.)
That was the good news. The bad news is that it only comes in about 8 colors (although they are very nice) and it's really hard to find! I've only found 2 places where I've been able to get it -- Fire Mountain and .
(If there's anyone out there who knows of another source for this great wire, please pass it along.)
I got my first spool from Fire Mountain, but I have recently ordered some from ebay as well (gotta love free shipping).
I also bought some on ebay. I don't know how it will stand up to the drawplate, but it does come in a slightly wider range of colors, so I'll give it a try. Well, when it gets here at any rate!
Finishing Viking Knit Chain
Finishing viking knit chain, to turn it into a necklace or bracelet, can be daunting at first. You have this beautiful chain you've carefully knitted and sent through the drawplate...but what do you do next?
(Don't forget, I have posts on directions for viking knit, using a draw plate, choosing wire and the relationship between dowels and petals.) Not to mention my new tutorial Introduction to Viking Knit!
Deciding on Embellishments
First you need to decide if you want any embellishments on your chain. For example, if you have a chain you've drawn down thin, do you want to put Pandora beads on it? Now is the time, before you finish off the ends.
If you want to put on a pendant that is a close fit to the chain, you probably want to put it on (or at least put the bail on) before finishing the ends. There are, however, bails that can fit over the finished ends of the viking knit chain if you'd rather not be tied down to one look.
Of course, you might want no additional embellishments; the chain alone is beautiful, just as it is!
Finishing the Ends
The ends of the viking knit present somewhat of a dilemma. They are rather thick and may look somewhat funky, so you'll need to hide them somehow. But how?
The answer is with an end cap. This could be a purchased cone or one you make yourself; it all depends on the look you're after and the availability of the materials.
For your average viking knit chain, you want an end cap or cone that is at least 6mm in diameter on the large end. It should also be at least 10mm tall.
In the photo, I made my own end caps. It's a little trickier than buying ready-made end caps, but when it comes to artistic wire, it may be your best option.
Making End Caps
You'll need the following to make your own end caps:
- Knitting needle, slightly smaller than the width of your drawn viking knit.
- Wire cutters.
- Round-nose pliers.
- Flat-nose pliers.
- Two pieces of 20 gauge wire; one should be around 10" long, the other around 4" long.
For my double-knit chain made on a 3/8" mandrel and 26g wire, I used a size 10-1/2 knitting needle. You may need a knitting needle larger or smaller, depending on how much you draw it down.
Coiling the Wire (Click to Englarge)
Start by coiling your wire around the knitting needle, keeping the coils as close together as possible. I put some masking tape on my knitting needle, so that the wire wouldn't slide around quite so much.
I make around 10 full coils, which ends up being around 10mm tall.
Once you have all your coils, cut off all but about 1.5" of wire. You'll use this to make the top coil of your end cap.
Making the Top Coil (Click to Enlarge)
Take a round-nose plier and curl just the tip of the extended wire. Make a small closed loop for the best fit.
Make a spiral out of the wire, slowly and carefully. I taped up the jaws of my flat-nose pliers so that I would not scratch the surface of the artistic wire, as the coating can come off if you get too rowdy.
Spiral Over the Coil
As you get close to the main coil, gently ease the spiral over the main coil. Try to keep the small closed loop as close to the center of the coil as possible, but a little off-center won't be too visible in the end result.
Finishing the chain gets a bit easier from here on!
Take a piece of wire around 4" long and make a little bend at one end, so that it kind of looks like a fish hook.
Threading the finishing wire through the end cap.
Using the long end of the wire, slide it through the top few loops of the chain. Pull the chain so that it ends up snagged in the "fish hook" end.
Take your end cap and thread it into place over the long end of the wire. Snug it down as much as you can. Then, you'll need to make a wrapped loop to hold the wire in place.
And see that little straight piece of wire towards the bottom? You can take it an gently curve it around (I use a fine pair of flat-nose pliers) and place the end into the viking knit wire.
This serves two purposes; you hide the end of the wire in the body of the viking knit, as well as snag it into the chain for stability.
So that's finishing the ends of the viking knit chain. What's up next? Why some examples of viking knit jewelry, of course, so stay tuned!
Want even more in-depth information on viking knit? Check out my new viking knit chain tutorial called Introduction to Viking Knit.
Meanwhile, if you don't have anywhere near you that sells artistic or copper wire in the gauges you need, here are some ideas from ebay.
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 Solid Copper Wire 24 Gauge Round Dead Soft 1 Oz 48Ft  US $3.26
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 Gold Copper Jewelry Wire 24GA 45Ft US $3.99
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 WRAPPING WIRE BRIGHT COPPER DEAD SOFT 26 GA 345 feet BEST SELLER US $8.71
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 Solid COPPER WIRE ROUND 26ga 041mm 40 feet US $3.00
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 Fly Tying 12pc Copper Wire Ribbing Set 26 gauge Asst US $15.99
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 Beadsmith 26 Gauge Wire 34 Yd 31M Non Tarnish COPPER US $5.95
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 zebra wire silver gold copper 30 28 26 24 22 18 guage US $11.29
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Viking Knit Chain – Dowels and Petals
The next bit of info on viking knit chain will be on using what size dowel and number of petals to use for your jewelry project. It might be a little confusing at first, but it will start to make sense in a bit.
In case you haven't seen them yet, you may want to take a look at the three viking knit posts I've made so far:
Now on to dowels and petals, and how you select based on your wire gauge and desired look for your project.
What are Dowels?
Viking Knit Dowels, Metal and Wood (Click to Enlarge)
Dowels, when it comes to viking knit at least, are the mandrels you use to stabilize your work. Dowels can be wood or metal, and can be round or hexagonal (like an allen wrench). Sizes can be from 5/32" up through 1". The most common sizes I've seen used are between 3/16" and 1/2".
Wooden dowels, in a variety of diameters, are readily available in your local Michael's Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann, etc. I went to get another few yesterday, and they ranged from $.59 to $.99 each. Considering they are 3 feel long, I can saw them into 9" pieces and have 4 from each rod. (You'll understand why I like plenty of dowels later in this post.)
Some viking knit instructions have you using an allen wrench, some a wooden dowel. Both have advantages and disadvantages, so I'd suggest you try both ways and then choose the method that works best for you. The chain looks the same either way.
What are Petals?
Wire Petals, Off and On the Dowel (Click to Enlarge)
Once you have your dowel, it's time to decide how many petals you want to use. But first...what the heck are petals?
For viking knit, petals are what start your first row of the chain. They aren't supposed to look good, and in fact look kind of funky. The only thing important is that the bottoms of the petals are even. You'll eventually discard the inital petals, but they are handy for something to hang onto while you are pulling the chain through the drawplate.
The number of petals is part of what determines the thickness of your viking knit chain, and its eventual look.
Dowels, Petals, Wire and Viking Knit Chain
It all comes together here, the combination of dowel diameter, number of petals and gauge of the wire.
Here's the general rule: the smaller the gauge of wire, the more petals. The larger the diameter of the mandrel, the more petals. Now obviously you can break these rules -- what's the fun if you can't experiment? But if you're just starting out learning, you might want to try a 1/4" mandrel with 5 petals and 24 gauge wire. This will give you a nice chain that can work in a variety of jewelry styles.
Once you've got the hang of the viking knit chain, branch out and try different numbers of petals. Different size mandrels. Different gauges of wires. Build your chain library with 3" lengths of the various combinations and remember to label the chain with all the information!
A Tip for Starting a Chain
I hate starting chains; I spend the first couple of inches just getting it all even and looking right. Then I got an idea; it works for me and I hope it works for you, too.
I have a variety of mandrels/dowels, in different sizes and number of petals. I may have three dowels the same diameter, but one might have 4 petals, another 5 petals and yet another 6 or 7 petals. (Now you understand why I like plenty of dowels.)
When I make a chain, I make an extra inch or so and leave that extra on the dowel. That way when I'm ready to work on that particuar size and number of petals again, I already have something ready. No need to spend the time getting another chain started; it's waiting for me.
Especially when I am working with silver or gold-filled wire, I like using copper wire for that last inch because it gives me something to hang onto when using the drawplate. The end I use to hang onto tends to get a bit mangled, and I'd just as soon that mangled bit be a less expensive wire!
So there you have the basics of viking knit. I'll cover finishing your viking knit chain next time....not to mention some finshed viking knit jewelry!
Viking Knit Part 3 – Wire
Today the topic is the viking knit wire you'll be using. There are all kinds and gauges to choose from, and here's some information to help you choose best.
You've probably seen part 1 and part 2 of my viking knit series; if not, you may want to take a look when you're done with this post.
Kinds of Wire
Wire Types (Click to Enlarge)
Unless you have money to burn (or are just super-coordinated), I highly suggest that you start learning to make viking knit chain using either copper or artistic wire (which is basically a coated copper wire). Both are inexpensive and readily available. (In a pinch when I run out, I hop on over to my local hardware store for some copper wire.)
You can also try brass wire, but it seems to harden up faster than copper does, making it more difficult to work. But it does give you a gold color without using gold-filled wire.
Fine silver, sterling, argentium and gold-filled wire are glorious but they are expensive to start out with, due to the amount of wire you will use. Once you are confident of your skill, though, then try your wings with wires other than copper or artistic!
Wire Shapes
When you go to buy your wire, you may be confronted with a choice of wire shapes. The three most common are round, half round and square.
You'll want to use round wire with your viking knit. Half round and square would be much too frustrating to use when you are learning. Half round might be interesting to experiment with, though, once you can do viking knit in your sleep. 
I don't know that I would try square, though, even as an experiment.
Besides, round wire is the least expensive to purchase; the price goes up for any other shape.
Wire Gauges
Wire gauge refers to the thickness of the wire itself. The most important thing to know is this: the higher the number, the thinner the wire! (I know, it seems backwards, but that's the way it is.)
The two most popular viking knit gauges are 24 g and 26 g. And while you can use any gauge to your heart's content, keep the following in mind. If you go larger to 22 g, the wire will work harden faster (or at least be harder to work because it's thicker and stiffer). And if you go smaller with 28 g, you'll be having a very narrow chain indeed.
Wire Hardness
When buying wire, you may or may not see a reference to the wire being hard, half-hard or soft. You will want to go with soft wire. Why? Because the act of making the viking knit chain will "work harden" the wire, making it stiffer. And while you might could go half-hard with 26 or 28 g wire (since it's so small in diameter to begin with), if you do, you'll need to work with shorter lengths of wire.
Other Gauges for Viking Knit Jewelry
To finish your viking knit jewelry, you will need a small amount of a 20g or 18g wire. This will be for finishing the ends and making a clasp (unless of course you plan to use a ready-made clasp). I personally like 18g for clasps, since it is harder and stronger than 20g. But there are plenty of people who successfully use 20g, so the choice is yours.
How Much Wire -- Lengths
Starting out, you'll use quite a bit of wire trying to get a handle on the viking knit, which is why I suggest an inexpensive wire in the beginning. But how much wire is needed for a viking knit jewelry project?
Here's an estimate you can use: 1 troy ounce of 24g sterling wire (48 feet) will make roughly an 18" (after being drawn) double-knit chain. At the time I am writing this, the lowest price I've found for sterling wire is about $20 an ounce.
Like I said, this is just an estimate; your chain may vary somewhat. And if you use a single knit instead of a double knit, you can just about double that finished chain length.
And of course, the gauge of your wire makes a difference as well. That's why I suggest making a chain library before you start on your jewelry projects. You'll have a better handle on what you need, as to length of wire.
One more thing -- how much working length of wire should you use for a session? I tend to like using 6 feet of wire at a time. If you're not familiar with using wire, you may want to go shorter, with 3' lengths to start. But I know other people who like to use 10 feet at a time. Ultimately, use the working length most comfortable for you!
About Your Eyes
If you're of a certain age, you'll need reading glasses to work your viking knit. If you don't need reading glasses to see the chain stitches, then wear safety glasses. Wire can whip around, and you do not want it to strike your eyes!
Now that I've covered wires, I'll next discuss the relationship of dowels, petals and wire gauge for your viking knit jewelry project.
While you can go out to your local hardware store and/or beading or craft store for your wire, if you don't have any of these kinds of stores nearby, here are some copper and art wire available on ebay.
Til next time!
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