Knit On 3 Nails
Which wire is best?
.935 silver wire and copper wire, starting at 28 gauge (0.4 mm). Again, the best is 26-gauge (0.5 mm).
Getting started
The startup bundle and the first few stitches are always discarded, so save your silver wire for the real thing
1. Use a piece of colored copper wire about 40'y (1 m) long. Starting a little ways into the length, wind 8 loops over a ruler. (These will be on the side away from the ends of the wire.)
2. Spread out the loops to form a daisy
3. Holding onto the fastened end. use the crochet hook to form an eye at the end of each loop by inserting the crochet hook well into a loop, then twisting it in the loop two turns. (More turns could break the wire.}
Chains knitted on nails look more knitted than those made with Viking knit. While they aren't as firm or strong as Viking knitted chains, the technique has other possibilities. You can, for example, make chains with a greater circumference On the other hand, if you make a bracelet with this technique, it must be supported inside to keep it from being flattened when worn.
Which wire is best?
.935 silver wire and copper wire, starting at 28 gauge (0.4 mm). Again, the best is 26-gauge (0.5 mm).
Measure a triangle on the block as shown, with inch (4 mm) separating the points. Bore holes at each point with a 1 mm bit. straight down Mix 2-part epoxy and squeeze some into the holes Tap in the brads. Wipe away excess glue immediately. When the glue is entirely dry. nip off the heads and file them smooth, so they don't scratch or snag. It is on these nails that the knit stitches are formed
Getting started
The startup bundle and the first few stitches are always discarded, so save your silver wire for the real thing
A wooden block with 3 nails A crochet hook, metric number 1 or 1.25 A wooden drawplate like the one used for Viking knit (see pages 7 and 10.)
1. Use a piece of colored copper wire about 40'y (1 m) long. Starting a little ways into the length, wind 8 loops over a ruler. (These will be on the side away from the ends of the wire.)
How to make your jig, a block with 3 nails a block of wood, preferably hardwood, about 2 x 4" (4 x 8 cm). Scraps are fine. 3 small brads 2 component epoxy
Wiggle the copper wire off the ruler, give the "back end" a solid twist, and wrap the loose ends firmly around the bundle.
Stitching
Mow take your knitting wire (or a practice Diece) and your nail block. Starting from the left about 4 inches (10 cm) in from one end of the wire, bring the wire over the left nail, under the center nail and over the right nail. Lift this off and shift the wire to the left, putting what was on ;he right nail on the left nail and running the wire under and up again. Try making about 24 stitches. When you have done this, you will simply continue the same •.vay, making more on the same wire.
- Starting
Now. wrap the knitting wire around the twisted eyes of the startup bundle, so that the stitches are outside the eyes.
Push the crochet hook through an eye and catch a stitch Pull it through the eye and up a little so that the stitch is locked in place. Turn the work to the left (counterclockwise) to the next stitch and repeat. The first round of stitches may pop out a little, but |ust put them back m again.
When you have 8 stitches knitted, shape them into a circle Knit the next stitch into the first stitch of the first round. Catch a new stitch through the old first stitch and continue around in this way
Changing wires
Changing wires
If you run out of wire, add a new one Let about 3/4 inch <2 cm) of the old wire drop down inside the knit Make a row of stitches on a new wire, also about 3'-j inch (2 cm) from the end. Stan 2 stitches before the end of the old wire, sliding \ inch (2 cm) of the new wire under the knit as shown above, and overlapping the first 2 stitches of the new wire over the last 2 stitches of the old wire. This won't show much on the finished object. Loose ends are not trimmed closely, and up to inch (1 cm) can hang down inside the knit
- Drawing
When the chain is completed (about '•5 less length than the finished measurement). check the points where you changed wires to be sure they are firm and lie nicely Now mount the drawplate in the vise. Use flat-nosed pliers to pull and always pull only on the startup bundle. If you have knitted a wide piece with t5 or more stitches, you will have to bore larger holes (15-20 mm) in the drawplate.
First pull the work through the large hole once or twice, then through a hole a little smaller. This stabilizes the knit. Don't draw it through too many holes, however, or the knitting will become too stiff.
S-catch
A big S-catch works well for necklaces, but not as well for bracelets. S-catches can be purchased, but you can easily make a handsome one yourself. For a 1V4 inch (3 cm) long S-catch. use 4 inches (10 cm) 16-gauge (1.5 mm) silver wire.
With round-nose pliers, bend down one-
third of its length.
Bend down the other end in the opposite direction so that the bends are the same length.
File the ends a little to make the wire narrower.
With fine round-nose pliers, bend a little curl in each end to finish.
Now to harden the metal, lay the catch in a piece of leather and pound it with a plastic hammer
Polish the catch with metal polish or put it m a drum tumbler with steel balls. See page 6 for more detail.
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