I picked up one of my new books last nite, Knitting with Wire, and decided to try one of the items to get my feet wet as they say.  There’s a really cute mini sweater you can make using fine guage wire and size 2 knitting needles.

I found it to be very interesting and fun because you cast on just like when knitting a regular sweater, in this case using a “knit on” method and then just knitting in garter stitch for 2 inches.  I’m at the point of adding on stitches to make the sleeves, again by “knitting on” stitches on the end of the rows.

So far it has been very easy – of course, I already know how to knit.  The main challenge is just to keep your stitch tension loose enough that you can get your needle through for the stitches on the next row.

For this item, the beads are added later, when it’s completed so it’s not really knitting with beads.  Seed beads are sewn on at the end as a kind of trim.  But the experience of knitting with wire is still a good one so you can get used to the feel of wire and how it flows on the needles and how it acts as you move along the piece.  It doesn’t flop around like a regular knit piece.  It kind of goes where you put it so you have to be careful not to moosh it up or it will ruin the look of the piece and you won’t see the “stitch definition” as it were.    I can see where you can add small seed beads as you knit if you want to instead of waiting to the end as well.

This little sweater would make a cute little ornament or fridge magnet or just something cute to sit on your desk.  There are lots of things you could do with it so it’s worthwhile for a practice piece.  I love cutey little things like this anyway.  Crafty people are very imaginative in their uses for things so it wouldn’t be wasted time to try one if you’re interested in learning to knit with wire.  I will post a picture of it when it’s done.

Knitting With Wire, Nancie M. Wiseman, Interweave Press LLC, 2003, p. 24