Anything long and thin you can hook around your knitting needles can be knitted with, some of my own experiments have included string, jute and cut up plastic bags, but wire knitting is becoming something of a phenomenon amongst regular knitters. So what do you need to know if you want to have a go?

Materials

Obviously, knitting with wire requires knitting needles and a spool of wire, but what sort? The gauge of the wire is important here; too thick and it will be difficult to manipulate, and very painful, too thin and it will be prone to break. The higher the gauge, the thinner the wire, usually patterns will require between 20-30 gauge, beginners might want to use between 25-30, as these will be easier to work with. Needles pose another problem. Plastic needles will scratch and often break, metal needles will scratch the wire and often make a “nails-down-the-blackboard” noise, so many tutorials advise the use of wooden or bamboo needles, which will not only survive the process, but not damage the wire either. If you don’t have wooden or bamboo needles, you can use metal ones, I have done in the past, but take it slowly! Other materials you might want, aside from decorative beads and similar, are a strong pair of scissors or wire cutters, for obvious reasons.

The Pain Quotient

I won’t lie to you, knitting with wire hurts! You might expect to be scratched by the wire, but that’s not the main problem. Wire has, unlike yarn, no give. This makes it much harder to manipulate, and can strain your fingers and leave a really painful ache between your thumb and forefinger. If you have problems with your hands or a condition such as arthritis, I really don’t recommend knitting with wire. For anyone else, start with small projects and give yourself rests, or at least periods knitting with yarn, to ease the pain.

Stitches

Wire is very different to yarn, if you’re using a gauge much thicker than 24, you’ll find that once you’ve put it into place, it won’t budge easily. This means that you can’t unpick and redo sections, but it also means that you can use stitches that won’t usually hold, like say long tail cast on, without any hassle. On the other hand, wire isn’t as thick as your usual worsted weight wool, so you won’t end up with those nice neat stocking stitch “patterns”. This means that most of the time it’s safe to work in garter stitch without effecting the look of your piece, once it’s finished you can stretch and flatten it into your desired shape. Keeping the stitches you use nice and simple will save pain and time!

The Benefits

Wire really is a unique knitting material. It’s strength and rigidity allows for more sculptured work, it’s unusual, and, most importantly, it’s shiny! It’s probably the best material for knitters to make jewelery other than clunky-looking felted items, yet outside of the craft world, it’s relatively unheard of, meaning you can really surprise people with knitted wire gifts! And of course, items such as earrings or pendants knit up quite quickly: perfect for token “thank-you” gifts, on-mass holiday gifts or stocking-fillers!

For more crafty hints, tips and patterns, check out:

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• How to Make an Easy Shawl
• How to Make Vampish Gothic Gloves
• Lydia Poncho Knitting Pattern
• Transformittens
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