Charting Your Creations

by Judy Larson

Just as with knitting, weaving or crocheting with yarn, everyone has a different tension on their wire when they are knitting, weaving, coiling or crocheting with it.

Different types and brands of wire react in unique ways when you work with them.

Understanding how each wire behaves can help you choose the right metal and gauge for your next jewelry project.

Each wire type has its own level of hardness and amount of "spring back." For example, dead soft copper is much softer than dead soft brass. If you make jump rings with the same gauge and mandrel using both metals, the brass rings will end up slightly larger because brass has more spring back than copper.

As you experiment with different wires, you may find that you prefer one brand or type over another.

Tutorials often provide only approximate wire lengths because everyone has a different wire-working tension.

It's a good habit to keep track of how much wire you use for each project.

You might not worry about wire cost when working with base metals, but once you move on to silver or gold, every inch counts.

Cutting too much or too little can be costly.

Keep a simple chart or notes for your projects.

It will help you estimate the amount of wire you'll need for future designs and make your jewelry-making process smoother and more efficient.

Coiled End Caps:

Years ago, before I started making them in metal clay, I could not find end caps I liked.

This is my chart for copper and copper core wire end caps.

Note: the 00 needle is a knitting needle.

Judy Larson's Charting Your Creations - , General Education, , chart

Use the following charts and make your own to help keep track of wire types and lengths used in your creations.

Viking Knit Gauges/Sizes/Lengths:

Click to Download this Chart

Judy Larson's Charting Your Creations - , General Education, , Viking knit chart

Coiled Wire Gauges/Sizes/Lengths:

Click to Download this Chart

Judy Larson's Charting Your Creations - , General Education, , Coiled wire chart

Materials

Wire

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WireJewelry - Ultimate Wire-Pliers Jewelry Pliers with Case, Set of 5

G15-20

G15-20
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
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Category: General Education
Technique(s): General Education

Reviews

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Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!