Free Jewelry Knitting Pattern

Free Jewelry Knitting Pattern<br /><br />The Basics of I cordsI cords are one of the basic building blocks of knitting. This simple technique creates a rounded knitted cord that can be used in a number of ways, and one of my favorites is in making jewelry.<br /><br />For i cords, you always use double pointed needles, or dpns. As you knit across your cast on stitches, the stitches on the edge are going to wrap around to create a rounded shape or cord. For the best results, I suggest pulling tight on your working yarn after knitting your first and last stitches so you dont have large loops on the edges.<br /><br />I used leftover yarn from other projects for my i cord necklaces. If youre like me, when you lay out your leftovers, youll notice patterns in the colors and textures of yarns that you use. Youll see some interesting color combinations within your pile of yarn that probably represent the colors you like to wear. In my case, I had a lot of purple and gray yarn that I chose to use for my necklace.<br /><br />For these i cord necklaces, you can use any weight of yarn, but I would recommend that you use fibers that will be comfortable lying against your neck most soft acrylics, merino, silk, and cotton and that you do not choose anything that might become itchy next to the skin.<br /><br />I used one size of double pointed needles for all my i cords, regardless of the weight of the yarn, and made them all the same size by adjusting the number of stitches I cast on. However, you could also change your needle size for the weight of your yarn or use the same needles and number of stitches and just have your cords be different thicknesses.<br /><br />My MaterialsI used 5 dpns for all my cords. This made a very tight knit when using my thicker yarn, but my cords were all about the same size. Below are listed the number of stitches I cast on for each yarn weight:<br /><br />3 sts Aran, heavily worsted and most worsted weight yarns<br /><br />4 sts dk and lighter worsted weight yarns<br /><br />5 to 6 sts sport weight and sock yarn<br /><br />You can play around a bit and see what size needles and cast ons work best for your collection of yarn. For reference, here are the yarns I used in my necklace:<br /><br />Bernat Super Value in lavender<br /><br />Caron Simply Soft in gray heather<br /><br />Caron Simply Soft in deep plum heather I made two cords with this yarn<br /><br />Caron Simply Soft in sticks and stones variegated brown<br /><br />Knitpicks Swish dk in Squirrel Heather<br /><br />Naturally Caron Country in silver<br /><br />Designing Your NecklaceI suggest you choose a design for your necklace before you begin to knit. The design will help to determine the length you need for your i cords, where you attach your i cords, and the best way to finish your necklace.<br /><br />I love adding some shine and glitz to this necklace with the addition of a grouping of pins you could also use buttons or vintage clasp earrings. For this necklace, I knit my i cords to be 24 inches in length, but you can use your favorite necklace as a sample to determine the length you want for yours you can also add a chain or ribbon to the back for comfort and to adjust the length. See Finishing Your Necklace below.<br /><br />I would suggest a light blocking of your i cords before you begin assembling your necklace. Pin each cord down dry to your blocking board, with the backside or seam of your i cord facing the board if you can tell which side is the back. Make sure each cord is pinned down straight. Spray each cord with water until very damp and let dry. This should prevent the cords from twisting as you wear your necklace.<br /><br />To support the weight of the additional decoration, you should stitch your cords together in the area where you are placing your jewelry to create a base for your pins or buttons. Working with a needle and thread, stitch from the back and through the width of your i cords, tacking them to each other until they are secure. This will also keep your i cords getting tangled with the added elements and stop your jewelry from twisting to the back.<br /><br />One Knot, Two Knots, Three KnotsOne great way to create a bold necklace and show off the different colors in your yarns is to simply knot your i cords together. You can make one knot in the center, or wear it to the side as an accent. Or make two knots, one of each side, and let the center cords hang loose. Or use three knots in a row to make a chunky statement necklace.<br /><br />One thing to remember is that each knot is going to use up some of your i cord length. I knotted 6 i cords, each 24 inches long, in a series of three knots. My resulting knotted piece was about 13 inches long. You might want to play around with some sample cords to see what knots and length you want to use before starting your finished piece, but you can also adjust the length by adding some chain or a separate cord to the back of your necklace.<br /><br />Braiding Your I cords to Make a Unique NecklaceI chose to braid my i cords for my necklace. I came up with a unique way to braid them together to interweave the colors from my cords.<br /><br />I started with 7 i cords you can use any multiple of 3 plus one additional cord, each 24 inches long but you can vary the length. I pinned them to my blocking board, paying some attention to how my colors were laid out when I started.<br /><br />First step, take the two cords from the right hand side and move them over the three cords in the middle. if you are using only four cords, just move one to the middle. If you are using 10 cords, move 3 to the middle. This will move the center three cords to the right.<br /><br />Step 2 take the two cords on the left and move them to the center. Follow the photo for Steps 1 and 2.<br /><br />Finishing Your NecklaceUsing a needle and thread, sew your i cords together in a bunch at each end of your necklace. Start about an inch to an 1 1/2 from the end of your cords and work from the back of your necklace to tack your cords together firmly and securely. Continue sewing your cords together to the end of your necklace. If you are braiding your cords together, you may want to tack your starting end together before you begin to braid.<br /><br />Optional Take some wide ribbon and wrap it around the end to cover your cord. Then sew up the ribbon seam and tack it to your end.