Trying something new...Viking Knitting

[Emm-Kaye]

While waiting to meet someone, I stopped into Michael's, and checked out their clearance stuff. Very dangerous!

Found a Viking Knit set for $1.49 and couldn't resist it.
I'd seen it before, and was very interested in it, but couldn't justify over $15 just to try something I might not like doing. Apparently the price had dropped to around $5 before it was put on clearance.

You 'knit' (or weave) with wire and make a 'chain' over a dowel, you then pull the 'chain' through a draw paddle, making it progressively thinner and finer - anywhere from 16.4 (about as big as a dime) down to 3.2 (about average necklace chain size).

Of course, the kit did not come with wire, but I got a set of 4 spools (2 silver, 1 gold, 1 copper color), and I'm going to try it this weekend.

Can't wait!  

[Emm-Kaye]

So, Viking Knitting turns out very pretty, and is actually a lot of fun, but I'm still trying to judge how long to make something to get the end result I want.
Honestly, it's not hard to do, but it's very time consuming, and a little rough on your hands (pulling wire bare handed can be painful). Spent almost all day yesterday, doing 3 test pieces. I'll try to to post pics of them.
The instructions that came in the kit were pretty useless since I flat out could NOT figure out what they were telling me to do, so I wound up looking on youtube to figure out HOW to do it! (My guess is they may have been translated from English to gibberish, and back, at least twice. And I thougt I was almost as fluent in gibberish as I am in typonese!...lol)

Also, the cats were VERY helpful ... not! (Apparently thin, dangly, shiny stuff wiggling near the floor is irresistable!)

My first test piece, with 5 loops, using silver wire , was about 2 1/2" long before drawing it, and wound up about 4" long.

My second test was copper, using 5 loops, started about 7" long and wound up 13" after drawing it through the paddle.
This will be turned into a dynamite necklace, once I put some end caps on it.

My third test using 4, not 5 loops to 'knit' with, was approximately 2" to start, and ended up about 5" long.
(I could actually convert both the 1st & 3rd test pieces into bracelets, if I wanted to - just need end caps and clasps.)

Going to attempt to make a 4 strand necklace today, and based on my calculations, if I want to end up with an 18-20" necklace, I need to start out having at least a 10" long piece. (Good thing I just happen to have a 3 foot long dowel!)
I will take pics of the entire process for this one, hopefully I'll be able to post them!  

[Emm-Kaye]

Hopefully this works...My cell phone takes crappy pics - sorry about the quality.

Test Pieces 1

Test Pieces 2

Test Pieces 3

Test Pieces 4

Viking Knit Draw Tool  

[Emm-Kaye]

My hands hurt so bad right now! Got the long peice done...Need to adjust my measurements for sure!

Started out aiming for about 12" of Viking knit, using 4 loops, to end up with an approx. 20" chain.
Start

Wound up with 13" of Viking knit, and seemed to spend more time adding wire than actually weaving.
Done weaving
The point is to have all the loops close to the same size...obviously I need more practice!

Drawing through
Strangely, this part is really easy!
Went through each hole in the Draw tool at least twice.
Final Draw (3.2 hole)
Cell phone takes really crappy pics - sorry!

By the time I was done with the Draw tool, the silly thing became 33" long!
Done!

I'm going to turn it into a neckalce & bracelet set, I think.  

[Emm-Kaye]

Let me know if you want to see the blow by blow pics (took tons, saved 12 or 13, I think?) as I was making this.

My cat was thoroughly ticked at me, since he wound up in one of the pics...My phone makes a very loud noise when it takes a picture. He didn't mind all of the pics I took, except for the one he was in! Then his ears went back and he glared at me!!
I promised him I'd edit him out before posting them, which I have. He forgave me.

(Let me know if you want me to sneak that one in too! - I won't tell him, if you don't!)  

[Entervixen]

When I read the title of this thread I thought you meant naalbinding. This is completely different! Also very pretty. I would be interested in seeing the rest of your pics.  

[Emm-Kaye]

entervixen

When I read the title of this thread I thought you meant naalbinding. This is completely different! Also very pretty. I would be interested in seeing the rest of your pics.

Ok, had to check out naalbinding. Very similar, only using wire rather than yarn. Possibly that's where it came from?

I'll try to upload the rest of the pics to photobucket, but not tonight. Probably will be done by the weekend - I'll post a link here to let you know when they're up.

Trying to pack, and clean, and get stuff ready to move, and work 10+ hours a day, with a 1 hour each way commute, and remember to eat, and... lol.  

[WraythRose Darkthorn]

entervixen

When I read the title of this thread I thought you meant naalbinding. This is completely different! Also very pretty. I would be interested in seeing the rest of your pics.

Had to check that up too! Very cool, I'll have to try and add that to my repertoire 3nodding