Harvest Gold Necklace a Combination of Wire Crochet and Wire Sculpture

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Harvest Gold Necklace A combination of wire crochet and wire sculpture. by Judy Zedalis After my mother died in 2005, I felt very lost. I didn’t know what to do with myself and found myself spending hours on the computer just surfing the web. One day I came across wigjig.com. I was in awe at the thousands of jewelry projects they have posted on their Web site. I was intrigued with the beautiful jewelry one could have just by twisting some metal and adding beads. I started buying magazines and books on beadwork and wirework jewelry making. I began experimenting, All photos courtesy of the author. adding my own skills to the new ones I was learning. My grandmother taught me MATERIALS: to crochet when I was nine years old. So 24-gauge dead soft sterling wire Assortment of amber, gold, black and brown it was very natural for me to add this to seed beads amber faceted glass bicones, other my jewelry making. I picked up a spool of assorted amber beads 2 small melon beads fine wire, a bowl of beads, and my crochet 1 large melon bead hook. And you see the results of that Gold spacer beads attempt ... this necklace. Rochaille beads 4 jump rings

TOOLS: TECHNIQUES Crochet hook Wirework Coiling jig/gizmo Crochet Dowel Round nose pliers Chain nose pliers SKILL LEVEL Intermediate Wire cutters

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Step 1 Begin by stringing a random pattern of beads on three 30” pieces of wire.

Step 2 Loop one piece of wire over a crochet hook, and begin a chain stitch. Choose random amounts of beads to loop and use in the chain.

Step 3 Crochet two of the strands and use the third strand to crochet the first two together. Tuck in the ends of the wire on each side of the crocheted piece, but leave enough room to attach the wires to the other pieces. You will end up with something like this. Repeat Steps 1-3 to make a second crocheted piece for the necklace.

Step 4 Take about 18”-20” of wire, and tightly coil both ends with a wire sticking up from the middle of each coil. If you use a coiling jig, you should have just the right size wire sticking up. Add whatever findings you like to decorate the middle of the spiral with the wire sticking up. I used a rochaille bead and a gold spacer.

publishers of Step by Step Wire Jewelry…join the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com HARVEST GOLD NECKLACE

Step 5 Make three of these,and wire two of them together.

Step 6 Bend the tail in half. Bend the tail of the third coiled component, and slide it over the tails of the first two you wired together. Wire all of them together for stability. You need four of these components for the necklace.

Step 7 Create three 3”-4” springs of wire by using a coiling gizmo or wrapping wire around a screwdriver, dowel, or anything round. Slide a piece of wire up into the coil with approximately ½” of wire sticking out of each end of the spring.

Step 8 Using round nose pliers, begin coiling each end of the spring and wire until you have an “S” shape, as pictured. Make two of these without the spring on one side for the necklace closure.

publishers of Step by Step Wire Jewelry…join the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com HARVEST GOLD NECKLACE

Step 9 The third coil with a wire insert should be shaped for the pendant. Coil one end, and thread the straight end through the center of the coil.

Step 10 Place two beads on the straight wire, and twist the end with the round nose pliers to hold the beads in place.

Step 11 Start assembling the pieces. Attach an “S” coil on either side of the pendant with jump rings. Attach the “S” links to the coiled links. Attach the coiled links to the crocheted beads. Attach the next set of coiled links. Attach another “S” coil to the coiled links. It should follow the same pattern as in the photo.

Step 12 To make the closure, take two 4” pieces of wire, and bend one end of each into a hook shape, using either your pliers or a coiling jig.

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Step 13 Pass the straight end of each wire through a small melon bead, a large melon bead, and another melon bead. Slide the wires toward each other until you get the approximate size you want.

Step 14 Bend the straight end of the wire in a 90° angle, and wrap close to the small melon bead on each side.

Step 15 One side of the hook should be enclosed in the smallest part of a coil link to keep it in place. The loop on the other side is large enough to slide over the other coil.

JUDY ZEDALIS grew up in a family that enjoyed arts and crafts. She studied art in school, and like most women loved jewelry. She has worked in an office environment since graduating high school. About 10 years ago, she returned to school and got a degree as a paralegal. She works for her husband in his construction company, plays with her dogs, and makes jewelry. She may be contacted at [email protected].

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