Knit Wire Earrings Tutorial and Pattern

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*** Extremely picture heavy post!!***

If you have any questions please contact me at boojayknits@gmail.com. Thanks!



Regatta Blue Chip Earrings

Materials:

26 gauge wire – I used silver colored non tarnish artistic wire, found at www.fusionbeads.com

20 stones or beads – I’ve used 4 mm Swarovski crystals, size 6 seed beads, and small stone chips. Choose what makes you happy.

Size 3 knitting needles

2 jump rings

2 ear wires

Note: gauge is not important for this project

Tutorial:

1.       Gather your materials





2.       Lay out your stones in the pattern that you desire. You will need 2 rows of 5 stones or beads. This was the color pattern I used with my stone chips:

Row 1: dark, light, dark, light, dark (The middle dark chip was slightly bigger and longer than the rest) Row 2: light, dark, light, dark, light



  

  3.      String your beads on your wire in your chosen order, starting from the second or top row. String both rows from right to left of your chosen order. In other words, opposite order of your desired pattern.



4.       Knit just as you normally would. (This is where the pattern comes in) If you don’t know how to knit but want to try these, I highly recommend www.knittinghelp.com for how-to videos. You will knit with the wire exactly as you would knit with yarn.

 

Tips:

Give your work a firm tug!

·         Tug your work HARD after each row. This is the blocking process for wire. You can shape the project when you’re done, but will have a neater result if you block as you go.

·         Pull the working wire firmly down after each stitch. This will help to create uniform stitches.

·         When adding a bead keep it as close to the stitch just worked as possible. (The stitch on your right needle) and knit the next stitch as tight as you can.

·         The beads will show up best on the purl side of the work.

Pattern: (Make 2)

Cast on 6 stitches using the backwards loop method in this way:   

Cast on 1 stitch, *bring 1 bead up tightly to the right needle, cast on 1 stitch* 5 times



Bring bead flush to stitch

Knit next stitch, keeping the bead between stitches

Row 1 (right side) knit

Row 2: Knit 1, *Bring 1 bead up tightly to the right needle, knit 1* to end

Knit 2 rows

Knit 2 tog

Next row: Knit 2 together (K2TOG) Knit 2, K2TOG – 4 stitches

Knit 4 rows

Next row:  K2TOG twice – 2 stitches

Remove needle from the stitches (don’t worry, they’ll stay put) and trim the wire, leaving a 4” tail. Squeeze the stitches together so they look like one stitch, making sure that they stay open so the jump ring will fit through.

   

Thread the wire through both remaining stitches, then wrap several times just below the stitches. Trim flush with the work and bend the tail so that it doesn’t stick out. (No weaving in of ends required.)

Slide jump ring through loops and jump ring

 

Wrap the tail around the top stitches



Open 1 jump ring and slide through the stitches.  Slide the ear wire onto the jump ring as well, and then close the ring.

Twist the knitted portion as necessary until it will hang with the beads in the front when the earrings are worn. Thread the cast on tail through a stitch, trim it flush with the work, and bend to hide it.