Well I guess this site is still active, has been a long discussion for a most confusing issue.
I have been sitting here with my 3/8" Alan Key, using 6 loops and a variety of wires from 24 to 28 wire in various softness and find that the Artistic wire is much softer and easier to use than the silver coloured or brass wire that comes on the spools from the local habby shop. I am not game enough to try silver yet because my work looks so uneven. I have found that if you do about 1" of single then try the double by going down two loops or rows (same stitch but down two instead of one) complete the row (ie. 6 stitches)then go back to single for three rows then do the double (down two rows instead of one)again, repeat the three rows and do a double again. The instructions that I found to be most helpful in starting were from "beadingdaily.com" and was called
trichinopoly chainwork . and were written by Kathleen Pierce.
I have, over the years, printed off 6 different instructions for this stitch but have found I am no further advanced than if I started last week. How do the instructions people get their work so neat - is it that tension pays a big part in all this, hope you have better looking work than I do.
Marlene