I’m a bit in love with this technique. It’s popping up all over the internet and I really love the contrast of hard metallic chain with soft yarn. You could make a whole bunch of these to complement or contrast with your wardrobe colour palette. (Do you have a wardrobe palette?! Colours that tend to creep into your wardrobe time and time again?) The customization options are endless….
Anyhow, all you need here is an old chain necklace, a crochet hook that fits through the links in your chain, and some yarn of some description. I used embroidery cotton because it suited the size of my chain and I already had some in my stash. But you could use silk for a bit of luxury; and on chunkier chains you could use delicious merino knitting yarn. Yum! All we’re going to use here is a single crochet stitch. But you could experiment with double/treble crochet or even some of the more decorative crochet stitches… If you’ve never crocheted before, (although I know alot of you do!) trust me, it’s easy to learn; and you’ll be totally hooked (excuse the gratuitous pun, totally intended!!)
1. Start as with any basic crochet; with a slipknot/loop on your hook. Then pass the hook through the first link in your chain.
2. Yarn over the end over your hook as pictured
3. Pull through the chain link so you have 2 loops on your hook
4. Yarn over your hook again and pull through the 2 loops you had on your hook. First single crochet done!
5. Repeat in all links of the chain, right to the end.
6. Cut the yarn so you have a short tail. Open up the loop you have left on your crochet hook and pass the end of the yarn tail through it.
7. Remove your hook and pull the yarn tail tight so the “knot” sits snug against your chain.
8. At both ends of your chain you’ll have a yarn tail. Put a small blob of superglue on both knotted ends. You want it to run a little bit onto the yarn tail too.
9. Once the glue is set hard, snip off the yarn tail, et voila!
My chain didn’t have any clasps so I added a little extender chain, a clasp, and a little drop at the back. But if you’re working with a necklace that you already have, of course you don’t need to worry about that part. I also decorated my necklaces with some little bead drops that I made by threading the beads onto jewellery head pins and making a little loop at the top. Great little tute here for making beaded drops…
As you can see, you can create loads of different variations. I was limited to using the materials and colours that were in the pile of jewelery I was challenged to remake. But imagine these with turquoise, cerise, red ; chunkier chain in matt black, pewter, gold; and any manner of drops. Basically, just let your imagination go mad!
If you do end up making these, PLEASE let me know! I would LOVE to see what you come up with!
Awwww so beautiful! I would like to give it a try this weekend!
Oooh, what a fab idea…love it!!!
Wow this is SUCH a cool idea! I love this! hopefully I’ll try it out soon
Oh, those are so delicate and pretty! I wonder if I could combine some tatted lace and some chain in a similar manor…. hmmmmm…..
-Sparrow
Sounds intriguing!
Px
Beautiful and impressive idea!
I am definitely going to try this! Has anybody got suggestions on where to buy the chain?
Chiara, my chain was bought on ebay in bulk. But if I were you, if you only want to make one or two; I’d pop down your local charity shop/thrift store and rummage through their costume jewelry.
Px
Wow! This is such a good idea! I must try this!
Wow, that is pretty creative. I am going to see what I have in my crafting stash and try it out too. Thank you for the great idea.
Great! Let me know how you get on!
Px
I have not seen this technique before and it’s fabulous. Thank you for the tutorial. I’m definitely pinning to try this!
It’s popping up in a lot of Spring/Summer accessory collections, so can’t claim it as my “original” idea. But glad you found the tutorial helpful!
Px
This is very unique and beautiful!
Thanks! And welcome 🙂
Px
Very cool idea!
Glad you like!
Px
This is a really well-done tutorial, Portia. I linked on my blog… hope that’s O.K.
http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com/2013/03/crochet-tutorial-by-miss-p.html
Hi Monique
I just stopped by your blog to say thanks 🙂
Welcome 🙂
Px
Very cute! Thank you!
Hi Kashmira,
You’re welcome 🙂 and what a fab name!
Px
Really love it thanks for sharing and I want to try this soon…!
bedroom furniture
living room furniture
outdoor garden furniture
english country furniture
shabby chic furniture
i loved these when i saw them before here, and now i’m excited to try to make one for myself! thanks for sharing the tute! 🙂 lisa
Very Beautiful!
I am definitely going to try this. So awesome.
I love love love this! Your instructions are clear as a bell and I think I can make several variations. Thank you so much for posting.
Love the idea and these would make great one of a kind gifts…the only question I have is the size of the chain you bought….and what size hook did you use??? Answer these two questions for me and I am off to the races with this idea….Thanks
What size is the chain and hook used for this project???/
Muy lindo proyecto felicitaciones saludos desde Venezuela