Beaded Viking Knit Bracelet Tutorial

Viking knit is a method of looping wire through itself to create a strong yet delicate looking chain, which is then lengthened and condensed into a thinner chain. It is complex, without being particularly difficult. It does require some specialized equipment, but the thinning block can easily be made at home and a small screwdriver substituted for the knit tool.

Materials This project requires a block of wood with 4 holes drilled all the way through, ranging in size from ¾ inch to ¼ inch. You will need several yards of a thin pliable wire, such as copper or silver, pliers, a ½ inch diameter 1 foot long wooden dowel, 2 open-ended metal bracelet caps, a 2.5 inch x 2.5 inch square of cardboard or plastic, a bracelet clasp and beads.

To begin, wrap your wire around the square of plastic 4-6 times. The number of revolutions determines how many sides your piece will have and will change the overall design and thickness. Slide the wire off the card. About 1 inch from one end of the wrapped portion, "tie" the bundle together with the working end of the wire.

Pry the loops apart and space them evenly. Slide one end of the dowel between them until it rests on the "tied off" portion. Fold the loops to the dowel as tightly as you can, also laying the working end of the yarn in the same direction next to one of the loops and tape everything in place (or tie with a bit of string), making sure to leave at least ¼ inch of the loops uncovered. The end of the loops will be the beginning of your knit wire work.

Bend the working end of your wire so that it is higher than the next loop, and then thread it through that loop, back to front. Gently pull it out and toward the next loop in line. Repeat this for 3 rows, and then start threading beads onto the wire after every couple of loops. Continue until chain is about half as long as you want the finished bracelet to be. Loop 3 more rows without any beads. Cut the end of the wire so it is no more than 2 inches past the end of the chain.

Remove your work from the dowel. Thread the starting end through the largest hole and pull the chain all the way through. Repeat with each smaller hole until the chain is as tight as it will get. Affix end caps by looping the end of the wire and threading it into the hole. Attach bracelet clasp to the ends.