Crochet guide
Crocheting with wire
Wire crochet is ordinary crochet worked in fine, soft wire instead of yarn. The stitches are the same, but wire has no stretch and holds every bend, so it is held loosely and shaped as you go. It is used mostly for jewelry, often with beads.
On this page 8 parts
What changes when the yarn is wire
| Yarn | Wire | |
|---|---|---|
| Stretch | Some | None |
| Shape | Soft: the fabric drapes | Holds every bend: the piece can be shaped by hand |
| Tension | Held under some tension | Held loosely |
| Ends | Soft, woven in | Sharp, tucked in |
The stitches themselves do not change. Wire crochet uses the chain, single crochet (double crochet in United Kingdom terms) and the taller basic stitches.
Which wire
Wire is sized by gauge, and the numbers run backward: the higher the gauge, the thinner the wire. The gauge in this guide is the American wire gauge, the usual one for jewelry wire in the United States.
| Gauge | Thickness |
|---|---|
| 26 gauge | About 0.4 mm |
| 28 gauge | About 0.32 mm |
| 30 gauge | About 0.25 mm |
In the United Kingdom wire is usually sized by the standard wire gauge, whose numbers do not match these, so go by the millimeters.
Fine wire of 26 to 30 gauge is what wire crochet patterns name. The thinner the wire, the softer it is to work, and 26 gauge is on the stiff side.
Choose a soft wire. Jewelry wire is sold in different hardnesses, and the softest is easier to crochet than the harder ones. The wire has to be flexible enough to bend around the hook.
Which hook
A 2.25 mm (B-1) hook is paired with 26 and 28 gauge wire. Steel hooks are used as well. The steel hook size chart lists them in millimeters.
Use a metal hook, and not one you treasure. Wire is hard on hooks: it can damage a wooden or plastic hook, and a hook can bend.
How to work it
- Keep the loops roomy. Wire does not stretch the way yarn does, so a loop made tight stays tight, and the hook is then hard to get back into it. Hold the wire with less tension than you would hold yarn.
- Work slowly. Stitches in wire are hard to undo, so it pays to get each one right the first time.
- Shape the piece afterward. Wire holds every bend, so a finished piece can be bent and pulled into shape with the fingers.
Yarn tension explains tension in yarn, for comparison.
Adding beads
Beads and wire are often used together. String the beads onto the wire before you start. To place one, slide it up close to the hook, reach past it with the hook and pull a loop through, so that the bead is caught in the chain. Crocheting with beads covers strung beads in full.
Tools and ends
Besides the hook you need wire cutters to cut the wire, and jewelry pliers help with bending and closing.
Cut ends of wire are sharp. Tuck every end into the work so that it cannot scratch. On a bracelet or necklace, leave a few inches (about 10 cm) of wire at the start and the end, and use those ends to attach the clasp.
What wire crochet is used for
Mostly jewelry: bracelets, necklaces and rings.
Wire also gives a crocheted flower a stem. Florist's wire is threaded through the middle of the finished flower, and the flowers can then be stood in a vase as a bouquet. This wire is not crocheted: it only carries the flower.
Where to go next
- Crocheting with beads
- Crocheting with thread, for other fine work with small hooks
- Crocheting with unusual materials