Book Review:Wire Jewelry VISUAL Quick Tips by Chris Franchetti Michaels

343845_cover.indd

Wire Jewelry VISUAL Quick Tips by Chris Franchetti Michaels

Spiral-bound: 224 pages

Publisher: Visual; Spi edition (January 9, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0470343842

ISBN-13: 978-0470343845

Just like Visual Quick Tips Beading book I reviewed last month, author Chris Franchetti Michaels Visual Quick Tips Wire Jewelry book is a winner!!!!

Along with tons of tips, tricks and how to’s, it also has the coil wire binding so it can lay flat while you have 2 hands full of wire and pliers. I really think ALL jewelry instruction books should be bound this way!

As with the Beading Visual Quick tips, this book has lots of detailed color photos and concise instructions so you never have to second guess how to bend a piece of wire or guess what size gauge you have in your hand. This book is a MUST for anyone who wants to start making wire jewelry or as a handy reference guide for more advanced wirewrappers.

Chapter 1 is all about jewelry making wire-types of wire, wire shape, gauge, temper finishes and care.

Chapter 2 goes over wirework tools. From pliers to wire cutters, hammers, block, mandrels, files and more. There are pictures of each, so you can tell the difference between a rubber mallet and a chasing hammer.

Chapter 3 is all about safety, storage and organization-all important!

Chapter 4 is when you start working with the wire-Basic wirework includes making jump rings, eyepins, basic wire clasp and more.

Chapter 5 is more advanced techniques. You’ll learn how to make a wrapped briolette, wave finger ring, herringbone wrap and more.

Chapter 6 is wire chain. Make S hook chain, double spiral chain, byzantine chain and other fun chains.

Chapter 7 is using a wire jig. From basic techniques to wire jig patterns.

There is an appendix with the American Wire Gauge chart, coils per inch reference char, millimeter and inch conversions, oxidation methods, polishing techniques and resourses. I love this book and you will too.

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

Have you read?