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THE STRETCH FACTOR
First of all I try to include the amount a piece will stretch into the beginning design. So by making it smaller and letting it stretch to the correct size you end up with a stable piece for your customer. Now for the fun part: Everyone is going to have a different stretch factor, so if you keep track of your sizes as you work up new pieces you'll start to get a feel for your own. Don't worry if you seem to have a variable stretch factor because even mine varies from day to day and from different wires... sometimes when I crochet all day my stretch factor just naturally gets larger as my hands get tired... this is the time to stop and let your hands recharge because the stretch factor can only get worse. So if you’re trying for a 7 inch bracelet aim for a 6 inch one and let it stretch to the appropriate size. This is also great because once the piece has stretched you will get a truer size... you won't have someone saying that their piece you made has stretched out of the wearable range. Secondly- when I start with my chain I always make it longer than I need it (about twenty or so stitches) this way I have a fudge-factor... I make my chain and when I turn around to come back it's easier to crochet out to the specific length needed rather than trying to guess on the exact number of stitches needed for that project. When the piece is completed I cut off the chain about 4 or 5 stitches from the piece itself and un-crochet it by working the wire out and back until I reach the piece itself. Then I gently straighten that wire out and weave it back into the piece to hide the end. I try to go in at least two stitches with a double coil at the end to keep it from pulling out due to any stress caused by actual wear and tear... tip #1: I use nail clippers to clip the wire. I have all the different shapes that they make so that I can shape the cut to the piece and not have to try to cut with a bulky wire cutter. Tip #2: I wear a golf glove on my tension hand and use tape on the thumb of my hook-hand. This helps me to hold a tighter tension for a longer amount of the time than bare skin can. I use two layers of white waterproof tape and a top layer of electrical tape on the thumb of my hook-hand. The white tape cushions and the black tape is fairly slick to allow smooth movement of the hook. When it wears out I replace it. On a necklace I might change it 3 or 4 times. If you don't change it when it starts to abrade you will end up with ooy-gooey in your piece of wire work and this is not easy to clean out... (Without tape I wear a groove in my thumbnail in a matter of minutes) I hope this helps. Trying to explain what I do is Not an easy thing. So, if you have any confusion or if you have any tips you would like to share... E-mail me and I’ll try to clarify. Good luck... let me know how it works out... Addicted to wire... Linda |