Free Viking Knit How-To
 

Our computer crashed before I could finish it, but this should get people started. Let me kow what you think.
http://www.fineartbyrocio.com/vikingknitdirections.html
Ron Jr.

Looks Good \\:D/

I don't bother with the line on the dowel, I just guesstimate.
thanks for posting this next time someone asks me "how did you make that necklace" I can point them your way.:wave:
lisa

Thats the best Ive seen on the web...

I think its great! Thank you!

GREAT, thanks for sharing \\:D/

I also do not bother with the line on the dowel...it was stressing me out too much, and I really think that once the chain is drawn it looks fabulous even if a tad uneven before it's drawn :)

However, I must say that I STRUGGLED with Viking Knit when I was trying to learn from tutorials, and yours is very similar to the one that finally clicked for me! For sure the best FREE Viking Knit tutorial I have ever seen, and better then most, if not all of the tutorials I have paid for!

I have heard about the Viking Knit, now I can learn how to do its. Thanks for your generosity!!!

I read on another tutorial to try and work with an 18 inch piece of wire to avoid kinks. Can someone explain what to do with the wire ends when adding a new wire?

Thanks!

As far as adding the wire, keep the end along the dowel and weave on top of it. I think Rocio's pictures show it. When you draw your chain down it will be inside and not visible at all.

I wanted to learn this for a long time, but I couldn't find a tutorial that I understood. This one is very clear and the pictures are really sharp.
I treid it and it worked. So even if a non-native english speaker can understand, it should be really good! I think though, that adding information on which gauge to use and ow to add new wire, would be really helpfull. I found out that a you can use a chopstick as a dowel!

Thanks everyone for the feedback. The pics could be a little bit better. We had a BIG computer crash this weekend, and I just got it back up and running last night.
I hope to add more info on the Viking KNit as we go along.
BeadIt, when you add on more wire, you pull down the first wire straight and trim about 1/4 below the last loop. The new wire will end up covering it, hiding it inside when you pull it to size.
Thanks everyone!
Ron and Rocio

Thanks for "adding wire" information. I agree--these are the first easy to understand instructions with nice close-up photos.

FAB tut, your soooooooo generous to share this information with us, Thank you!
a couple of probably stupid questions now!
- What diameter dowel should I use?
- Does the dowel size matter?
- should the dowel be a certain length, or "not shorter/Longer than" length?
- what gauge wire should I use?
- what size holes should I have my hubby drill in my home made draw plate?
Thanks in advance.

Bubblebabeuk,
I e-mailed ya.
Ron Jr.

so if you run out of wire how do you add more? do you use a long peice of wire or several shorter ones? and yes I too would like to know how big to drill the holes in a homeade board. Your tools look great I just cant afford real silver much less a board :) Sorry

Great tut! Did I miss what gauge wire you recommend to use with your pull board and end caps?

BTW, love the different end caps you offer on your site. Lots of design possiblities and great to know they will fit if the board is used.

Drilling holes. The largest hole is 1/4 ". You can go down in size 1/32 of an inch for each hole under that. Good wood is important. Red oak works the best and is a little pricey.
Ron Jr.

Yes Yes yes!! Please post answers here! Unless you want to PM all of us!!:razz:

I would like to know the answers t these questions too please. I wish it was in printer friendly format for me to print the instructions.
Wonderful tut by the way....

I would like the answers also. Pretty Please?

Nice! I totally didn't know how the heck that worked & now I have a clue.

I just took a class yesterday and we used a 7/16 dowel. Great tut! Thanks!!!!

I'm trying to find the end caps but not having any luck...........HELP PLEASE!!

R4 has them on their website! good prices, great service, what more could you ask? :)

http://www.fineartbyrocio.com/

The tut starts with using bronze wire, do you take it off at the end? How do you remove it?

Hi everyone! Sorry I missed getting back to you. I have been at a trade show all week.. (Glass Build America) in Atlanta. I head back home tomorrow night.
Dowel size.... At least 12 inches long.... longer is ok but not more than 18". Diameter of the dowel rod should be 1/4", 3/8", 7/16" or 1/2". Rocio uses 3/8". If you were to do more loops around the dowel.. 6 or more.... a larger dowel makes it easier.
Please let me know if I missed any questions!
Thanks and talk to you all as soon as I get back!
Ron Jr.

The bronze wire is used to grab onto with pliers to pull the silver wire through the wood. The pliers dent and scratch the wire.... so it is a cheap way to start the viking knit with a wire that you can throw away with no worries. You simply cut it off the silver after it's pulled.

FireBeadz... Rocio had the same problem trying to find end caps. She ended up designing her own and having them made. They are on her web site. http://www.fineartbyrocio.com/vikingknit.html
Thanks!

This may be a dumb question - but how do you end the "knit" and attach to a finding? :-k

I'm thinking I will just stop knitting draw it down then solder on the end caps? will this work or is making permanent end caps actually on the weave outta PMC a better idea?

Length issues
 

The tut is fantastic - thank you for that!
I wonder - you say that after drawing, the length doubles. So - would you typically just take your intended finished length and weave half of that in the silver? (I guess you'd need to make sure to make allowances for the end caps and the clasp as well. :)

For the folks who've done this a bit before - what do you do if you come up short, or your chain is too long after you put it through the drawplate? I imagine you can't really continue adding at that point...?

Thanks!
Inna