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What tools are necessary for wire crocheted jewellery?
Cheap or premium tools?
You won’t need a huge investment to start crocheting jewellery. However, you should think on the kind of tools you wish to purchase (if you haven’t them home already). For most tools, you’ll be able to choose simpler and cheaper versions if you only intend to use them occasionally or more expensive and premium ones if you are thinking on taking your hobby more seriously. It’s up to you.
Suppliers
There are many online shops selling all you need if you don’t have any local jewellery suppliers. On last post, I referred two I’m familiar with. But I don’t have much information concerning their tools, since I buy mine mostly in my local commerce. I’ve bought The Bead Shop some specific items which are harder to find in my local suppliers, as for instance some of my jigs and spiral makers. They made a mistake and sent me the same article twice instead of two different ones like I had ordered, but they fixed the situation promptly. Besides that, I was quite satisfied, because the tools I bought them are of good quality. As for Matière Première, the other shop I mentioned on last post, I didn’t buy them any tools yet, thus I can’t evaluate their quality. As usual, I’m not recommending any seller in particular, I’m just sharing information.
Essentials
To follow up our first projects, basically you’ll need: some solid steel crochet hooks (with 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50 and 1.75mm) to make some tests and choose the sizes that work best for you, a cutter, a round nose plier (numbers 3 and 1 on the first photo) and a coffee can. If you are a regular crotchetier with yarn, perhaps you can buy new crochet hooks for your textile crocheting and use your old ones for wire crochet. You see, wire crocheting tends to ruin hooks quite a bit so I advise you to have separated hooks for wire and yarn.
The cutter for small wire diameters can be as simple as my little black one on the photos… However, if you intend to try larger wire gauges and other metals in near future, it’s better to invest right away on a good flush cutter similar to the blue one (number 2 on the first photo), which will make it easier to get a clean cut for your wire ends (except for memory wire which is too hard to cut without a more specific tool). I keep my cutters closed with a rubber band in order to prevent damages when I carry them inside my coffee can along with the crochet hook and the wire bobbin. I use an old coffee can to keep my ongoing work, because the wire bobbin lies and spins easily inside and wire doesn’t tangle when I pull it out.
You’ll also need a round nose plier for your finishings. It can be a basic, simple round nose plier. Mine (the black and grey on the photo) is a four-in-one, with a round nose section for coiling, a flat jaw section for flattening, straightening and bending, a groove to close jump rings and a sidecutter. The sidecutter is not suitable if you want flush cut ends for larger gauges or harder wires, but it is okay for soft wires. Although I find the groove useful to close jump rings, I think I would prefer a loop closing plier specific for that purpose, like those I’ve seen in American online shops. And, I also feel a simple round nose plier would probably be easier to use than this one, since sometimes it’s hard to keep the wire away from the flat jaw section. Besides, I don’t use the flat jaw section, because it damages the enamelled copper wire surface. Instead, I have a nylon jaw plier to work without leaving any marks. It’s very useful, but it makes sense mostly for larger gauges, not for the 0.2mm wire we are going to work with on our first projects.
In some occasions, you may also find a magnifying lamp helpful if, like me, you have some vision problems. Basically, and if my memory doesn’t fail me, you won’t need more tools than these to start crocheting wire jewellery right away. To complete this, join some commercial findings (from your jewellery suppliers) to finish your pieces and that’s it!
To go a little bit further
When I create my own jewellery, now and then I like to make my own findings too. I usually work with wire diameters between 0,700mm and 0,900mm and some handy tools for wirework (a set of different pliers, jigs, spiral makers, tools to make coils) that help me creating jump rings, hooks and clasps, cages, earring bodies, ear wires, etc. It’s possible that you wish to invest on making your own findings too. If you’re interested in trying it yourself, stay tuned on Atelier LJ! Later on our posts we’ll share more tips about these tools and show examples on how to use them. Meanwhile, don’t go away, because we are about to show you how to start crocheting your first wire necklace. It’s easy and it’s beautiful. So, don’t miss our next post!
Technorati Tags: Bijouterie, bijouterie crochetée, bijutaria, bijuteria, crocheted jewellery, jewellery making
Tags: Bijouterie, bijouterie crochetée, bijutaria, bijuteria, crocheted jewellery, jewellery making
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