"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.
When you get down to a #5 steel (1.9 mm) or so, it's time to switch to silver (if that's your
inclination).
I tend to work with #7 steel (1.65 mm) or smaller, down to #11 steel (0.8 mm), with 28
gauge wire, depending upon the project, the wire, and the size stitch I want. Smaller than
1.0 mm, though, and I can't grab the wire consistently with the hook.
I've made things out of different kinds of wire, and generally the larger the wire, or the
less pliable the wire, the larger the hook I need. I made something from rather large
stainless steel (it was an "art project" for my sister's friend) with a "G" hook (4.25mm).
The wire was so thick and strong that it "ate" the finish off my aluminum hook (but the
purse was pretty darn cute when it was done!)
Hook size will depend upon what you're making, how your stitches look, whether you're
adding beads, if you're doing mostly single crochets or double crochets... The bottom
line is that you'll have to experiment a bit, but these hints should get you started.

What Can I Make?

Just like your Mother always said, "You can do anything you want when you grow up!"
Take that to heart. But... where to start?
An easy place to start is with fridgies (small crochet projects you can put on your
refrigerator) or doilies, for broaches or necklaces. You can find links to all sorts of those
at my "main" web page, "C" is for Crochet (A-G). (They're alphabetical... look under
"Doilies" for doilies and... well, if you can't figure out where "Fridgies" are... e-mail me!)
I started by copying one of Pat's projects, Wire Crochet, Wild Poppy's. Imitation and
flattery and all that! Then I went on to a bunch of barrettes wtih beads, a couple of hat
fridgies, then bracelets. I've made rings and necklaces since, too, and am always plotting
the NEXT project!
But despite what my DH may say, I have never, ever, made crocheted barbed wire.
Really. It just LOOKED like I did!
 Okay, What About Tensioning?

This has to be the most-asked question I've gotten so far. And it isn't easy to describe,
because it is NOT like normal tensioning.
You don't pull on the wire to make it tighter. Instead, you position your hook "just right"
when you pick up the "yarn over" (YO) wire. And, yes, this DOES require some practice!
If you pick up the YO wire too close to the body of the project, you'll be pulling too hard
to try to get the loop through. You'll pull and tug and stretch things out of shape as you
yank to get the wire through.
If you pick up the YO wire too far away from the body of the project, you'll have too
much wire that you're trying to pull through. It will bunch up on one side of your work or
the other. Pulling to tighten it after you've picked it up takes forever, wears out the wire,
and is frustrating.
So, how do you tension the stitch? Easy. You pick up the YO wire just right to pull it
through exactly as you want it.
And that is why you start on 'the cheap stuff'. And start with larger hooks.
I had someone watching me crochet and I switched projects as we were talking. She
stopped me and made me look at what I was doing. Everyone crochets differently (if you
don't believe me, try watching someone else some time). But apparently I crochet
differently when I'm doing thread and when I'm doing wire. With thread, my motions are
small. With wire, I do a lot of moving of the hook and of the wire as I "yarn over" and
pull the wire through. Wire doesn't wrap itself neatly around the hook like thread does.
You have to wrap it yourself. But I'd never noticed the difference myself, because I don't
think about how I crochet very much. I just do it.
And that is why you start with the cheap stuff. Until I could work with wire without
thinking about it (much), I made square swatches and round swatches and Christmas
ornaments and small projects that I didn't mind throwing away (and, yes, I threw away
quite a few of them!) If something didn't work, or I blew a stitch in the middle... I tossed
it.
There are those who say NEVER to throw away something you've done. Well, you won't
find me saying that. I've done too many projects that deserved trashing to have that kind
of pride. (And the first wire jewelry I made was given to the people at my children's
dentist's office. They were dumb enough to say "Ohh, Ahh!", so they got stuck with 'em!)
Getting the tension "right" takes the most time... don't let it frustrate you. It takes
EVERYONE that long. Really!
 How Do You Put the Beads on the Wire?

Ah! You didn't go to Learn Beaded Crochet , did you? Okay, here's the Bead Basics
You have to pre-string ALL the beads you want on the wire (or thread or whatever)
before you start crocheting. You have a few choices:
You can work with only a few beads at a time (which is rather limiting for larger
projects, but just fine for most jewelry)
You can work with a lot of beads and be very mathematical and precise, calculating
the exact number of beads and stringing them.
You can work with a lot of beads and "guesstimate" how many you'll need. Then pre-
string what you think you'll need, and about 25% more to be on the safe side.
Guess which I do? Yup. Guesstimate. Even for a small number of beads. I tend to string
beads while I'm doing something else -- like watching TV. My attention is only
'somewhat' on the beads, and counting isn't one of my strong suits even when I am paying
attention. (What can I say? I get bored.)
SeaFore's Rule of Thumb: It is MUCH easier to put extra beads back into a bead bin if
you strung them but didn't use them, and MUCH harder to have to cut the wire, string
more beads, and re-attach the wire to the project.

Beaded Single Crochet

To add a bead to a single crochet, you put your hook under the loops of the stitch below.
Before you do your first "yarn over" (here, a "wire over", but I'll still abbreviate as a YO),
you snug a bead from your spool up real close to your work. When you YOI and pull
through, the bead is caught between your hook and the body of your project. (It's rather
neat to watch -- the bead rotates into position as you tighten the wire, and all the beads
line up perfectly in the row, all by themselves.)
When you're working with yarn or thread, you are likely to work under the back loop
only (BLO) or the front loop only (FLO). Wire doesn't get out of the way as easily as
thread, and it's easier just to work under both loops.
Okay, you've put your hook under, YO'ed, pulled through. Now, just complete the single
crochet stitch as usual -- YO again and pull through.
That is a "standard" beaded single crochet, adapted for wire. BUT... you want MORE
beads? Say, enough for the green-beaded choker necklace up there ?
For the green necklace, I strung about 5 or 6 FEET worth of beads. Yes, that was a lot to
work with, and yes, it was tough to keep them whupped into shape.
I pulled up two or three beads for the first YO, then two or three more for the second YO.
They were smaller beads, and I wanted a very dense pattern.
The only thing to be careful about when you are doing beaded wire crochet is to watch
and make sure the beads don't slip into the body of the stitch -- that they are held at the
surface. (Unless, of course, you want that look.) Because you bend the wire during the
YO, the beads don't tend to slide where they shouldn't be unless they are very small. With
smaller beads you may want to use more than one with each YO, so if one (or two) slide
within the stitch you will still have some at the surface.

Beaded HDC, DC, TR

Once you've got the beaded single crochet (BSC) down, it's easy to move on to other
stitches.
Try a quick swatch of a beaded treble crochet. Put a bead on only during the first YO for
a few stitches. Then, for a few stitches, put a bead on only during the second YO. Try
again with only the third YO. The fourth YO.
Okay, now try with a bead during the first and third YO's. First, second, third, fourth
YO's.
What do YOU like? What fits the project you want to work on? (Keep the swatch for
later reference -- even if it's not what you want today, you may want to remember it for
later use!)
 Why are the Beads on only One Side of the Project?

Oy, vey! That's a general "beaded crochet" question, and it's not easy to do your first
beading in wire. I've done a tutorial on making little purses with beads. Why not check
THAT out? "P" is for Purses Intro

What Kinds of Fasteners Can I Use?

Glad you asked. You have LOTS of options, and I've pictured a few here. On the left
there are two "tab clasps", where you insert a tab part into the holder, and it locks into
place until you squeeze the tab. These are what I prefer for necklaces. (Mind you, that's
mostly because I'm pretty uncoordinated, and I can handle these. "Your mileage will
vary" and any of these clasps could be exactly what you're looking for...)
The next clasp in (third from the left) is my favorite for bracelets. The reason is not too
tough... I can handle this one-handed. It's rather like a clasp from a wrist-watch.
The next two clasps, that look rather like lobster claws are... "lobster claws". You use
these on one end, and a simple circle on the other.
The rest of the clasps are various types of hooks and eyes. Each of the "hooks" has an
"eye" that it fits into.
When you find a shop that sells these, you'll notice that they are often a simple hoop, with
ends that abut but don't overlap. Perhaps I abuse the findings as I crochet with them, but...
the "regular" round loops always seem to fall apart. I've started using "split ring" loops
(which are rather like the ring on your key-chain). They are available in sizes down to
"really dinky" (that is a jeweler's term, isn't it?) and they hold up much better.
How do you attach these things? You're going to have to try a few and see what works
best for you. (Hint: If you haven't put a clasp on before, don't make your first try at the
very end of your favorite, huge project. Try it on "scrap" first!) Sometimes I single
crochet around them (especially for split rings and things with larger loops). Sometimes I
wrap wire through them after I'm done. Generally, I put the clasp on the wire as I put on
beads -- before my crochet hook touches the wire. When I get to it, I look at it and see
what I think will work in the context of the jewelry. Then I use a "tail" of wire as
reinforcement when I'm done.

What are you waiting for? Get some wire from the garage and
GET TO IT !
Copyright 1998 SeaFore@aol.com