Bizuteria z drutu Beading - Bead Crochet With Wire.pdf - Biżuteria - Patrycyjka

"How To" with Wire

Wire Crochet on the Net

I found Pat's web site WildPoppy Home Page on one of my "internet cruises". I

found a few other wire crochet artists on the Web as well, like Bonnie Meltzer

and Kelly Darke . If you want artistry, go see their sites!

Pat has been incredibly generous with her time and talents. My experience and

talent are both much less than hers... but I was willing to write the "how to" for the

internet.

If you want to get started... grab your hook, your wire, and your sense of humor,

and keep reading!

IgnoreYour Husband

Yup, your Dear Hubby (DH) will think you've gone off your nut this time! My DH

accused me of crocheting my own Brillo pads. No, it didn't help that my first few

pieces LOOKED the way they did - all odd shapes and wires poking out. My son

gave me a little grief, but Pat suggested that I tell him I was practicing up to

crochet him a new car. He says he's a little concerned that the gas tank will leak,

but he's willing to help look for steel crochet hooks in VERY SMALL sizes for me!

I also have to warn you that crocheting with wire is a slippery slope to going

VERY off the wall. I was crocheting with sterling silver and beads, and, I swear, I

thought, "You know… if I used monofilament fishing line, you wouldn't be able to

see anything but the beads… and it would have GIVE!" Can you imagine my

hubby's face when I start unreeling my fishing gear to start crocheting with it?

Start with Small Guage Wire

Wires come in different gauges. The larger the number, the smaller the gauge.

Size 28 or 30 wire is good to crochet with. It's generally not too big to wrap

around a hook. I sometimes use a 26 gauge for a "spine" in bracelets and

necklaces, but I don't do much more than chain it. It's workable, but it's stiff… and

expensive. (You burn a LOT of wire by crocheting it!)

Larger gauge wire (22 gauge and bigger) is likely to be too stiff to crochet with,

but it depends upon what kind of wire it is. If you practice and really want to,

though, you probably could. If you do, let me know and tell me how it came out!

Start with the Cheap Stuff

Start with the cheap stuff. REAL cheap. From the hardware store, not even a

craft store.

Brass and bronze (both gold-ish colored) are good beginning wires. They are

soft, and it's easy to find them in gauges 28 and 30.

But Not Too Cheap!

Even though stainless steel SOUNDS like sterling silver, and LOOKS kinda' like

sterling... (Me, in Homer Simpson's voice: "Ooohhh… Pretty!") Trust me, it's not

sterling. Stainless steel is a VERY tough metal. It will take your delicate fingers

and turn them into bleeding stumps. I found out the hard way.

Aside from my other less-than-adorable traits, I'm a bit of a skinflint. If I bought

the wrong stuff, well, I'm going to USE it. Can't let it go to waste, you know!

Stainless steel not only gave me callouses where I didn't know I had fingers, it

also "ate" one of my aluminum crochet hooks. First the blue paint was gone…

then the writing… and my fingers… but, hey, the purse I made with it was funky!

(No, not something I'd use, but it was intended for someone who owns and uses

a "fish" purse, and a purse made from a license plate. I figured it would fit right

in!)

How Wire is Different

There is no going back with wire. You can NOT unravel it. (Well, okay, I've

unraveled a stitch or two successfully, but it took LOTS of patience, and I would

NOT recommend it!) Wire will break if you work it too much, and just pulling to

un-do a stitch will snap it quickly.

Wire has no "give". When you make a chain-3, it is going to look like a chain-3

forever. Some stitches you like in thread or yarn may not look like you expect -

and that can be a good thing or a bad thing. Experiment!

You block wire by stretching it with your fingers. Gently. Sometimes I use a

crochet hook as a pointer to make a stitch go where I want it to, or use the

handle to 'fluff' a picot.

Wire Breaks

Wire can also be repaired, if you're sneaky. Reinforce broken wires with

additional wire, if necessary. Twirl strands together to make the wire equivalent

of a knot. And remember: If you can't salvage it for this project, you may use it as

a motif in your next project!

Generally, the smaller the gauge wire (like a 30 gauge sterling), the more the

wire will "act" like thread... but the more likely it is to break, as well, and MUCH

faster than thread would. I've used 30 gauge, but it's a bit fine for me. I've done

most of my work in 28 gauge brass, copper, and sterling. These pieces clearly

are ephemeral... they're unlikely to be passed down to a child, much less a

grandchild. The heavier the gauge, the more sturdy it'll be.

Wire Stretches

Well... wire DOES stretch, but not much. What really stretches is the crochet

stitches. How much it stretches will depend in part upon your stitch tension, the

type of wire, and the type of crochet stitches you are using. All I can suggest is

that a little experience with a particular pattern can help a LOT in long-term use

of the object. After all, if a Christmas tree ornament gets stretched, it doesn't

matter much. But if your favorite bracelet stretches and starts falling off your

wrist... that's not good.

Wire Shrinks

When I plan jewelry in wire and I'm working end-to-end (from one clasp across to

the other, for instance), I always need to add about 10% in length becuause the

length seems to "shrink" when I work it up. I don't know why. (I suspect it's just

because I abuse the anchor chain somehow!) You may not experience this. Just

thought I'd mention it so you didn't make a choker that's REALLY a choker!

Beads are FUN!

Beads are WAY fun! The add color and can accent a stitch. My DH hates them.

Ehhh... who cares about what he thinks anyway?

I buy my beads in 16" strands at the "Gem and Jewelry Show" that comes into

town two or three times a year. I seldom pay more than $4 for a strand of

ANYTHING -- including freshwater pearls! I even found a web link that says

where and when the show is showing up: Gem and Jewelry Shows - open to the

public

I have a local lapidary store where I buy my silver. They also sell 16" strands of

gems (like amethyst chips or whatever), but they cost closer to $15 a strand. I've

bought stuff there... but only when I HAD to have it for a project and couldn't wait

for the show to come to town!

I also have a local bead store. (No kidding, both the lapidary store and the bead

store are within 2 miles of my house. And there's a Michael's and a WalMart

about three miles from here. Am I lucky or WHAT?) ANYWAY, my local bead

store has a vast array of glass beads and the same 16" gem strands, for a price

comparable to the lapidary store.

I tend to buy my clasps at the bead store, and my wire at the lapidary store.

Besides being arguably somewhat slightly cheaper that way, it gives me an

excuse to visit them both!

What Size Hooks?

I suggest people start with a larger hook (#1 steel, 2.75 mm) or a little larger or

smaller, and practice on "the cheap stuff". Go down a size or two at a time as you

get comfortable and consistent with the wire.

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