Multi-Strand Knitted Necklace

Instructions

Materials:

Knitted cords: 3-4 different yarns (a variety of textures is most fun), each about 20 yards or so; this is a great project for using up leftover bits. The amount of each yarn will dictate how long each cord is for this necklace. You'll also need 2 double-pointed needles, in a size appropriate for knitting your yarns fairly tightly (I used a U.S. size 3).

Jewelry findings: 2 8mm Swarovski crystals (or other beads), 2 bead caps (mine are approx. 1/2" across on the bottom), 2 large jump rings, 2 eyepins, approx. 8" chain (separated into 2 pieces), a clasp of your choice plus 2 jump rings to connect the clasp to the chain. Optional: magic lamp charm plus 1 additional crystal and a headpin to connect the crystal to the charm.

For the necklace shown: Make 4 3-stitch I-cords, ranging from 18-24"; weave all yarn ends to the inside of the cord (a crochet hook is most efficient for this). Lay the cords out with all the ends lined up together, in the order you want them in for your necklace.

Using the large jump rings, connect the tops of the 4 cords together on each end of the cords. Connect the eye end of the eyepins to each of these jump rings, and put the straight end of the eyepin through a bead cap on each end of the cord groups. Add a crystal to the eyepin above each bead cap, and form a loop with the end of the eyepin over the crystal; trim away any extra.

Connect each piece of chain to the loop you just made over the crystals, then use a jump ring to attach the other end of each piece of chain to one part of the closure.

Optional: if you'd like to make the charm shown here, string a crystal onto a headpin, then form a loop above the crystal, and attach this loop to your charm. Attach the finished charm to your necklace. Materials:

Knitted cords: 3-4 different yarns (a variety of textures is most fun), each about 20 yards or so; this is a great project for using up leftover bits. The amount of each yarn will dictate how long each cord is for this necklace. You'll also need 2 double-pointed needles, in a size appropriate for knitting your yarns fairly tightly (I used a U.S. size 3).

Jewelry ...
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Difficulty:

Category: Jewelry

Type of item: Accessory

For: Women

Style: Funky, Whimsical, Romantic

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Materials

Yarns, bead caps, jump rings, eyepins, toggle closure, Swarovski crystals. Optional:brass charm, additional crystal, headpin.

What was your inspiration?

The I-cords I used for this necklace actually came from another project that I unraveled (a not-so-successful experiment), but thankfully, I saved the cords. Since there were "live" stitches at the ends of the cords, I stowed them on a large stitch holder, which promptly got buried under other projects for, well, a while. When I finally unearthed them, shortly after I started teaching myself the rudiments of making jewelry, my mind just connected the two. And I wanted to see if I could make something that actually looks like jewelry, as opposed to a really skinny scarf.

What are you most proud of?

This is the very first knitted necklace I've made! Just thinking of that is plenty to be proud of. I think what I like the best is that I've taken the very basic jewelry techniques that I've just learned recently, and applied them to something really unique. I particularly like the use of the bead caps where all the strands meet on either side; the copper color complements the colors of the yarns, and I think the caps just add a really professional finish.

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

Don't limit yourself to doing it exactly like I did-- get inspiration from your own stash of yarn leftovers. Make 10 strands, if you feel like it, or maybe make some with different thicknesses of yarns, or make cords with more than 3 stitches (I've used 5-stitch I-cords on many of my necklaces). And when you're choosing your hardware, think tonally; if your colors are on the cool side, maybe a silver or gunmetal finish would look great, where gold or copper would work better for warmer tones. And this project would also look great in a shorter length. Experiment and have fun!