All the coloured wire used in this jewellery is a product called Artistic Wire, manufactured in the USA. Artistic Wire is permanently coloured copper wire with a coating that resists tarnish, chipping and peeling. Unless indicated, all the silver wire is silver plated Artistic Wire. The gold wire is gold plated Artistic Wire. The copper wire is bare copper wire and will tarnish to a dark brown over time. Where indicated, all the earring hooks and hoops are made with sterling silver wire that will tarnish over time. I recommend storing these pieces in an airtight container, and if possible, with anti-tarnish paper.
The crocheted pieces are crocheted with regular yarn crochet hooks. The wire doesn’t bend quite the same way yarn does, but having a copper core, the wire warms up as it is worked with and becomes more pliable, and then it cools and keeps its lovely lacy texture.
Coils and other shapes are made around a variety of mandrels of different sizes and materials, including household items.
Viking knit is created around a mandrel and then passed through a drawplate to even the stitches and set the diameter of the finished tube. The stitches are formed by wrapping the working wire around the bottom of the loops in the row above.
A variety of pliers, cutters, hammers, files and other tools including hands and fingers are used to manipulate, shape, harden, texture and smooth the wire.
