Infinity love knotThe use of knots as symbols of love and friendship dates back hundreds of years. The components in this necklace and earring set borrow characteristics from these knots and the infinity symbol to suggest everlasting love.

by Kimberly Berlin

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©2012 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

materialsNecklace 16 in. (40.6 cm) plus 23⁄4-in. (70 mm) pendant; earrings• Copper wire: round, dead-soft• 18-gauge (1.02 mm), 52 in. (1.3 m)• 20-gauge (0.81 mm), 64 in. (1.6 m)

for necklace; 8 in. (20.3 cm) for earrings

• 24-gauge (0.51 mm), 24 in. (61 cm) for necklace; 16 in. (40.6 cm) for earrings

• Copper head pins: 22-gauge (0.64 mm), 3 in. (76 mm): 1 for necklace, 2 for earrings

• Copper jump rings: 18- or 20-gauge (1.02 or 0.81 mm), oval, 5.3 x 3 mm: 28 for necklace

• Crystal beads• 12 mm tapered or cosmic:

1 for necklace• 8 mm rounds: 2 for necklace• 6 mm rounds: 6 for necklace,

2 for earrings• 6 mm bicones: 2 for necklace• 4 mm bicones: 1 for necklace,

4 for earrings• Copper beads• 3 mm round: 1 for necklace,

2 for earrings• 2 mm round: 6 for necklace,

4 for earrings• Ear wires

tools & supplies• Wirework toolbox, p. 8• Double barrel/bail-making pliers

with 12 mm, 10 mm, 8 mm, and 6 mm jaws (or dowels of equivalent sizes)

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stepbystep

Knot components1 Using flush cutters, cut 6 in. (15.2 cm) of 18-gauge (1.02 mm) wire, and mark the center with a permanent marker. Place a 12 mm dowel or pliers jaw next to the mark, and bend one end of the wire around it to make a loop. Reposi-tion the dowel or pliers on the other side of the mark, and make another loop opposite the first loop to form a figure 8.

2 Using one wire end, make two wraps around the center (2a). Repeat with the other end (2b).Wrap each tail around an adjacent loop, keeping them close to the center and wrapping them on the same side as each other (2c). These wraps identify the bottom of the compo-nent. Trim the wires on one surface; this will be the back of the component. Place the component’s outer loops on a bench block, and hammer them with a chasing hammer.

3 Repeat steps 1 and 2, using the following wire lengths and dowel sizes to make the remaining pendant knot components:• 5½-in. (14 cm) wire; 10 mm dowel • 4½-in. (11.4 cm) wire; 8 mm dowel • 4-in. (10.2 cm) wire; 6 mm dowel To make a chain knot component, repeat steps 1 and 2 using 4 in. (10.2 cm) of 20-gauge (0.81 mm) wire and a 6 mm dowel. Make a total of 10 chain knot components.

Pendant knot embellishment4 Cut 3 in. (76 mm) of 24-gauge (0.51 mm) wrapping wire. On the 12 mm-loop knot component, make three wraps on the left loop below the center wraps. String a 6 mm bicone crystal, and make three wraps on the opposite loop. If there’s any space between the bicone and the edges of the loops, string a 2 mm copper bead both before and after the bicone.

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Repeat to add a 6 mm bicone to the 10 mm-loop knot component and a 4 mm bicone to the 8 mm-loop knot component.

Bead units5 Flush cut 4 in. (10.2 cm) of 20-gauge (0.81 mm) wire, and make a wrapped loop (How-Tos) at one end. String a 6 mm round crystal, and make a wrapped loop at the other end, but don’t trim the tail. Wrap the tail around the bead and then around the wraps at the first end. Trim the tail close to the wraps, and flatten it. Make a total of six 6 mm bead units. Repeat with 5 in. (12.7 cm) of 18-gauge (1.02 mm) wire and an 8 mm crystal. Make a total of two 8 mm bead units.

6 To make a dangle, string a 2 mm copper bead, a 12 mm tapered or cosmic bead, a 3 mm copper bead, and a 2 mm copper bead on a head pin, and make a wrapped loop.

Clasp7 To make a hook, flush cut 3½ in. (89 mm) of 18-gauge (1.02 mm) wire, and use a file or cup bur to round both ends. Using roundnose pliers, make a tiny loop at one end of the wire. Bend the wire over a 6 mm dowel or pliers jaw until the wire nearly touches the tiny loop (7a). At the other end of the wire, make a wrapped loop (7b). Hammer the hook and the loop.

8 To make a loop, flush cut 3½ in. (89 mm) of 18-gauge (1.02 mm) wire, and round the ends. Make a wrapped loop at one end of the wire. Using a 6 mm dowel or pliers jaw, make a large wrapped loop at the other end. Rotate the loops so they are perpendicular to each other. Hammer the large loop.

Pendant assembly9 Align the 12 mm-loop knot compo-nent with the 10 mm-loop knot component so the bottom edges are

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facing down. Open two oval jump rings (How-Tos), attach the knot components’ loops, and close the jump rings. Repeat to attach the remaining two 18-gauge (1.02 mm) knot components in descending size.

10 Use two oval jump rings to attach the 12 mm dangle to the two loops of the bottom component.

Chain assembly11 Using oval jump rings, attach components to make the chain in the following order, starting at the pendant’s top left loop: 8 mm bead unit, chain knot component, 6 mm bead unit. Continue alternating chain knot components and 6 mm bead units until you have a total of four knot components and three 6 mm units. At the end, attach one more knot component and one half of the clasp. Repeat this step on the other side.

Earrings12 Make two 20-gauge (0.81 mm) knot components as in step 3 of the neck-lace. Cut 3 in. (76 mm) of 24-gauge (0.51 mm) wire, and make three wraps around one loop of a component. String a 4 mm bicone crystal, make three wraps around the opposite side of the loop, and trim the wire tails. Repeat

Kimberly Berlin has been making beaded jewelry since ele-mentary school. She enjoys working with wire loops,

connectors, and spirals. When she’s not making jewelry, she’s reading, rock hunting, and finding inspiration in her surroundings for new designs.

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to add a crystal in the other loop. Repeat this step with the other knot component.

13 On a head pin, string a 2 mm copper bead, a 6 mm round crystal, a 3 mm copper bead, and a 2 mm copper bead. Make the first half of a wrapped loop. Slide one loop of a knot component into the wrapped loop, and complete the wraps. Repeat with the other component.

14 Open the loop of an ear wire, attach it to the remaining loop of a component, and close the loop. Repeat with the other component.