Wire Crochet
Wire crochet jewelry gives the impression of crystals suspended in midair. The sparkle of gold-tone wire sets off the glitter of large cube, round, and bicone crystals.
stepoystep
Wire crochet chains
[1] Unwind l yd. (.9 m) of craft wire, leaving it attached to the spool. To remove the curl from the wire, gently pull the wire between your thumb and index finger. Avoid bending the wire.
[2] String the 8 mm cubes on the wire.
[3] Loop the wire around the crochet hook 6 in. (15 cm) from the end of the wire. Cross the tail end over the wire attached to the spool (photo a). Chain (Basics, p. 68) 10 stitches (photo b), forming loose loops approximately Vs-'/z in. (1-1.3 cm) in size.
[4] Snug a cube to the last chain, and chain one stitch (photo c). Chain a stitch without a cubc.
[5] Repeat step 4 to add the remaining cubes to the crocheted chain.
[6] Chain nine stitches. Leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail, cut the wire. Make one
more chain stitch, and pull the wire through the last stitch. Flatten the end chain loops slightly. [7] Repeat steps 1-6 to crochet a chain using the 6 mm round crystals. Repeat again with the 6 mm biconc crystals.
Assembly
[1] Lay the three chains next to each other, aligning the heads (photo d).
[2] Twist the 6-in. (15 cm) wire ends together at the base of the chain loops on one end (photo e).
[3] Braid the chains together, first crossing the right-hand chain over the center chain, and then crossing the left-hand chain over the middle chain (photo f). Repeat for the length of the chains. Bend the crocheted wire loops to position the crystals next to each other. Twist the wire ends together at the base of the chain loops on the other end of the necklace.
[4] Slide the twisted wire at one end through an 8 mm round crystal and half of the clasp. Bend the wire around the clasp loop, and twist it around the necklace wire, leaving a Vs-in. (1 cm) gap between the clasp and the 8 mm. Trim the wires, and use the bentnose pliers to smooth down the ends. Repeat on the other end of the necklace.
[5] Gently curve the necklace to fit your neck. O
materials necklace 19 in. (48 cm)
• 14 8 mm cubes (jewelfysupply.com, 866-380-7464)
• 16 6 mm bicone crystals
• bentnose pliers
DESIGNER'S NOTE:
When crocheting your wire, try to keep the size of your loops consistent. Do not make them too small; they will compress as you braid the chains.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
If the crystals are clustering together as you braid, you may need to take apart the braid and realign the three chains to stagger the beads in each strand. - Lynne
¡.aura Li minons lives in l.eawood, Kan., in the U.S. She teaches for CRYSTALLIZED™ -Swarovski Elements. She sells her products through her company, Vintage Moon Creations. Visit her Weh site, vintagemoon.net, for more information. Contact Laura at vmc@kc.rr.com, or call her at (913) 269-9391.
Treat yourself like royalty adorned in crowned glory adapted from a design by Melanie Silver
PEYOTE STITCH / BEAD WEAVING
Crimson crowns
The rich hues of red and gold are a classic combination with the clarion call of royalty.
materials necklace 23 in. (58 cm)
•27 mm crystal stone
• 6 14 mm crystal rivolis
• 48 6 mm bicone crystals
• 27 4 mm bicone crystals
• nylon beading thread, size A
• coffee stirring straw
The classic and eye-catching color combination of red and gold gives this necklace a rich look without breaking the bank. This is a simplified version of Melanie's Empress delight necklace, which is embellished with additional crystal shapes.
stepoystep
Peyote tubes
[1] On 1 yd. (.9 m) of thread, attach a stop bead (Basics, p. 68), leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail.
[2] Pick up 13 15° seed beads. Work a total of 20 rows of flat odd-count peyote stitch (Basics) to make a strip that is 13 beads wide with 10 beads on each straight edge.
[3] Remove the stop bead. Zip up (Basics) the strip to form a tube (photo a). End the working thread and tail (Basics).
[4] Repeat steps 1-3 31 times for a total of 32 peyote tubes. Set the peyote tubes aside.
Rivoli and stone bezels 14 mm rivolis
[1] On a comfortable length of thread, pick up 44 I59s, and tic them into a ring with a square knot (Basics), leaving a little slack and a 1 -in. (2.5 cm) tail. Sew through the ring again, pulling the knot to hide it in the beadwork. Trim the tail.
[2] Work one round of tubular peyote stitch (Basics). Step up through the first 15° added in the round.
[3] Pick up five 15% skip an up-bead, and sew through the next up-bcad (figure 1, a-b) to form a five-bead picot Repeat around the ring (b-c). Sew through the first three 15vs added (c-d) to exit the middle 15p in the first picot.
[4] Pick up two 15% and sew through the middle 15* in the next picot (figure 2, a-b). Repeat around the ring (b-c). Tighten the tension around the inner ring, and tie a few half-hitch knots (Basics) to secure the thread.
[5] Sew through the beadwork to exit an up-bcad on the outer edge of the ring.
[7] Place a rivoli face down in the bezel (photo b). Pick up a 15°, and sew through the middle 15° of the next picot (photo c). Repeat around the ring, and tighten the tension around the inner ring on the back of the rivoli. Tie a few
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