You don't need expensive materials and special tools to make beautiful jewelry. To make this original heart, you only need wire from an old transformer and knitting needles. Knitted wire jewelries look really amazing. This heart will look great as a pendant. You can add a brooch pin and you will have a beautiful brooch.
You have to know how to do cast on (I used Longtail Cast On) and how to knit in-the-round using 4 knitting needles. The usual knitting practically does not work with the copper transformer wire. So I figured out how to solve this problem.
Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Yield: Knitted wire heart about 1.4" wide, 1.6" long and 0.4" thick
Supplies:
- copper wire with diameter 0.5 mm from old transformer
- 4 knitting needles with diameter 2 mm pointed at both ends
- crochet hook 1.5 mm
- 2 rhinestones with diameter 0.5 cm
- 1 bead transparent crystals with diameter 1 cm
- 1 bead transparent crystals with diameter 0.8 cm
- 2 mother-of-pearl beads with diameter 0.8 cm
- 3 mother-of-pearl beads 0.5 cm, I used beads from a necklace
- pliers
- wire cutters
Steps:
- String the beads onto the wire: first a big mother-of-pearl bead, then two rhinestones, then a small mother-of-pearl bead.
- Cast on 5 loops.
- You will knit only front, in-the-round, the result is Stockinette stitches. In total you have 5 stitches. When knitting with wire do not try to pull the wire out using a knitting needle. Do this with a crochet hook. Pull out the loop of the desired length using crochet hook, then put the loop on the knitting needle. In this case, you will get a tight knit. Just pull the wire loops well with the crochet hook.
When I write knit stitch / knit (k), I mean pull a wire loop with the crochet hook and put this loop on a knitting needle.
1st round (rnd): remove the first stitch on a working knitting needle, knit 4 stitches (k4). When knitting in-the-round, make sure that loops of the Stockinette stitches do not twist. This can happen when transferring the loops from the crochet hook to the knitting needle. - Distribute the stitches on three needles: 2 stitches on one knitting needle, 2 stitches on second knitting needle, 1 stitch on third knitting needle (2 + 2 + 1; in total 5 stitches).
- You have to expand the heart using increase stitches (inc). I used the Yarn Over technique, but not to make holes I formed a loop from the wire by scrolling counterclockwise once and put this loop on the knitting needle.
2nd rnd: Continue working in-the-round, pushing the knitting needles to the opposite end. * k1, 1 inc. Repeat from *. (4 + 4 + 2; 10 stitches in total).
- 3rd rnd: k to end of round. (4 + 4 + 2; 10).
- The 3th and 8th stitches will be the sides of the heart. Tie threads to these loops. Since I decided to make the heart not symmetrical, therefore the increase stitches will not be mirror-like.
- 4th rnd: k2, 1 inc, k2, 1 inc, k6. (5 + 5 + 2; 12)
- 5th rnd: k to end of the round. (5 + 5 + 2; 12)
- 6th rnd: k3,1 inc, k2, 1 inc, k5, 1 inc (on the last knitting needle), k2, 1 inc. (6 + 6 + 4; 16)
- 7th rnd: k to end of the round. (6 + 6 + 4; 16)
- 8th rnd: k4, 1 inc, k2, 1 inc, k6, 1 inc (on the last knitting needle), k2, 1 inc, k1. (7 + 7 + 6; 20)
- 9th rnd: k to end of the round. (7 + 7 + 6; 20)
- 10th rnd: k4, slide in the small bead, k3, 1 inc, move to next knitting needle, k1, 1 inc, k12. (8 + 8 + 6; 22)
- 11th rnd: k4, slide in one rhinestone, k to end of the round. (8 + 8 + 6; 22)
- 12th rnd: k3, slide in the second rhinestone, k4, 1 inc, k2, 1 inc, k2, 1 inc, k2, 1 inc, k2. (9 + 9 + 8; 26)
- 13th rnd: k4, slide in a large bead, k to end of the round. (9 + 9 + 8; 26)
- Since this heart is not symmetrical, then divide the stitches in this way: 4 + 5 + 3 = 12 (on three knitting needles) for one half and 14 loops for the other half. You will continue to knit one half of the heart. Fix the rest of the stitches with a piece of wire - pass through the loops and twist the ends.
- The halves of the heart will narrow due to decrease stitches. Decrease stitch (dec): remove two stitches on a working knitting needle, 1k, pull this stitch through the two not knitted stitches, put on the working knitting needle. Do all this using the crochet hook.
14th round: k5, 1 dec (3 stitches together), k1, 1 dec. (4 + 3 + 1)
- 15th round: k to end of the round. (4 + 3 + 1; 8)
- 16th round: * 1 dec, k2. Repeat from *. (2 + 2 + 2; 6)
- Cut the wire, leaving a small end. Pass the wire alternately through the loops on all knitting needles and tighten. Cut off the excess of the wire. Using pliers hide the end of the wire.
- Spread out the heart to give it volume. Insert the remaining beads inside. This will not only decorate the heart, but also help it maintain volume and add weight.
- Attach a wire and continue knitting the other half. Distribute the stitches on the needles as follows: 5 + 5 + 4 = 14
- 14th rnd: Knit second half of heart in-the-round. k5, 1 dec, k1, 1 dec, k1. (5 + 3 + 4; 12)
- 15th rnd: k to the end of the round. (5 + 3 + 4; 12)
- 16th rnd: * 1 dec, k3. Repeat from *. (3 + 2 + 3; 8)
- Cut the wire, leaving a small end. Pass the wire alternately through the loops on all knitting needles and tighten. Cut off the excess of the wire. Using pliers hide the end of the wire.
