Recycling old jewelry....for Knitters

I've been delving into the joys of knit and crochet in the past few weeks. Alot of the patterns I was looking at called for stitch markers. When I looked at the offerings in my local hobbycraft and haberdashery? Well they were just a bit blaaaaah. Just as with yarn, fabric, and everything else; using something a bit nice when "making" just makes the whole process that bit more pleasurable, don't you think? So I decided to make my own by repurposing some old jewelry and a bit of wire....

If you want to make your own it really is super simple. Here's what you'll need...

1. Wrap your wire around a knitting needle to get the size loop you want
2. Twist the loop one full rotation to close the loop
3. Cut both straight ends using wire cutters. The length you cut them will depend on the size of bead you're using. Just be sure to cut them the same length.
4. You'll end up with this
5. Use round nose pliers to bend the ends of the wire in to create a mini "hanger" shape
6. Slot the ends into the bead (you may have to trim a smidge off the ends of the wire) so that the ends of the wire meet inside the bead. Done!

Below is an alternative design. You can see that instead of the "mini hanger" shape I've formed a tiny loop at the base. You can then hang charms etc from it OR use jewelry headpins to create your own from old beads, as shown. The difference between this style and the one above is that in the first style the cut ends are buried inside the bead so are completely snag free. With the style below you have to take care that the cut ends of the wire do not stick out. It just takes a bit of practice :)

Recycling old jewelry AND prettier than those plastic things you can buy in the shops. Sorted!

http://portialawrie.blogspot.co.uk/