I've been experimenting recently with lots of different ways to make strong enough 3D crochet vessels and I thought I'd give the most obvious method - wire - a try this time. I found some wires too inflexible and difficult to mould as well as being too skinny in diameter once crocheted, so I decided to try wire with its plastic coating still on - like the ones you find in electric cables. In the UK that will be brown and blue colours:) (the earth wire doesn't have a plastic coating inside the big grey tubing which I stripped off, just the bare copper - which is very nice in its own right and I will keep for later!)
Ok, so I have my plastic coated wire, and now I can see how it moulds - yummy! Perfectly easily. I thought I'd have to use long nosed pliers but in fact they made little awkward bends rather than smooth curves so I just went with moulding it with my fingers.
Then I started to crochet around the wire with some of my stripey dyed sock yarn - this one is 'mango' ;) Oooh, I'm liking this! Lets get onto another shape and see how it looks......
Oh yes, I think this will work! I will still have to attach the units together like the flowers in the green vessel but that's ok. I'll have to work out a solution to the wire ends though. If I fold them, there will be an unsightly lump in the spiral - not ideal at all - and I have to make sure the end crochet stitches don't slip off either. I'm thinking a little spot of glue but I run the risk of sticky mess on the yarn.....
Aha! Maybe I crochet a little end cap thingy - picturing knitted i-cords here, only in crochet:) A little tube end before crocheting around the wire..... off to see how that works. Back soon!
This is way cool. Perhaps if you put a tiny bit of wool fleece or cotton into the end of your proposed end cap, it will keep the wire from poking through.
ReplyDeleteThats a really good idea, thank you! I'll try that out:)
ReplyDeleteI am so excited by this particular creative journey Elaine. I look forward to seeing where it leads you. Knowing you, it will far away from your start point!
ReplyDelete*laughs* I think you are right john! I'll just follow where it takes me - wherever and whatever that will be. You never know, maybe 20ft tall towering vessels like trees!!
ReplyDeletetry using different size dowels for making your turns...check out how it's done with wire crafting (-_^)
ReplyDeleteThe more I play with wire the more intriguing it gets - I think wire and metal techniques could well play a larger part in my experimenting, thank you!
DeleteVery cool and intriguing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, that's very kind :)
DeleteSo Clever! I tried tatting with the wire, and then over wire, but rings were a killer with wire as a core thread. ** hand to forehead** why didn't I think of that.
ReplyDeleteI've only got into tatting recently so just a basic slip st in crochet was used for this. Some wires work better than others though - it can kill your hands!
DeleteYour crocheting over wire reminds me of when I was a young girl, my mom taught me how to cover wire clothes hangers, so they were less damaging to delicate things. I can't remember how to do it. Do you think a slip st would work?
ReplyDeleteHi Lynda, This is just a crocheted slip st over wire.I just push them close together to get a dense covering over the wire. Sorry for the very late reply. Since I stopped writing the blog, I hadn't realised there were comments waiting for me to answer. Hope this helps even though its late:)
DeleteA bead glued on to the ends would look good and hold the stitches. You could use a transparent one if you didn't want it to show up too much!
ReplyDeleteA beaded end is a great idea, thank you. I like the idea of personalising each one possibly, lots of scope for variation there:)
DeleteAlso what will you use these for?
ReplyDeleteThese are just small samples towards construction of a much larger piece. Since this post I have made a few 3D vessels and one larger suspended piece which you can see on the gallery page. The blog page link is here - http://la-belle-helene-journal.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/sun-and-shadow.html
DeleteBrilliant! What about pipe cleaners? I want to try that too. Flexible...
ReplyDeletePipe cleaners would be a great idea Linda. Anything with a wire core that was flexible enough to hold a shape:)
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