I did it! I figured out how to knit with wire. Using a knitting spool, stylus, and Wire Knitting…On a Spool by Sharon Hessoun (which I got from Soft Flex), I sat down one afternoon and figured it out. First, let me warn you. This is not for the faint of heart. I became frustrated more than once. However, once it "clicked," I soon realized the many possibilities. So, the results were well worth the few moments of frustration I initially experienced.
1. It is true that you don't need to know how to knit or have any previous experience knitting to be able to learn this technique. The knitting spool used for this really does most of the job of knitting. So don't think you need previous knitting experience to try this.
2. In Sharon's book, she suggests using 28 gauge wire. Do as she suggests. I tried using 24 gauge in the beginning (which is what I had handy), and it was way too hard to use. Then I found some 26 gauge (which I'd forgotten about), and it made a big difference. I can only imagine the 28 gauge would be even easier to use.
3. When following the directions in the book, try to "do" it as you "read" it step by step. There are a lot of little steps, which is probably why illustrations could not be included for each and every one. So, be patient and read - do - read - do…
4. The instructions say to wrap all the pegs and then pull the loops over all of them. I found it easier to wrap and pull one peg at a time. Maybe I can eventually learn to do it the other way, but this works best for me now.
5. Once your knitted wire starts to be a few inches long, add a heavy bead to the end of the wire tail that goes down through the spool. A reader sent me a tip that a fishing lure worked well for this, but I used an 8mm hematite bead since I don't fish. This really helped weigh down the tail and have something to grasp when I had to pull on it.
6. To be able to incorporate your finished wire chains into a piece of jewelry, I think it would be helpful to have some previous wire knowledge such as making and wrapping loops.
Obviously, this technique is not something the average jewelry maker can learn in just a few minutes. I worked on this during a rainy afternoon, and here are the results of my first completed chain, which I ran through a wooden draw plate when I got the length I wanted. I used colored wire (Colour Craft®), dangled this cool caymanite heart cut by Dr. Joe, and then added a hook on the other end to create a lariat.
Soft Flex
Wig Jig
Beadecked and Beaddicted
Jane's Fiber and Beads