where are your gloves and your helmet?

Recently started learning Viking knit, mostly because I hate hate hate buying chain and would like to be able to string my pendants on something other than leather cord and have not yet gotten the guts up to use my blowtorch, let alone try to make chain with it. Viking knit is time-consuming and probably not the best way to make fine or narrow chain, but it has its own aesthetic appeal, and if I'm careful about how I handle the jump rings or bails, works pretty nicely for my stuff- it's not like I make delicate, minimalist pieces. The coiled end cones are kind of a pain in the ass to do, which is why I didn't photograph that part of today's experiment; they are sad and amateurish beyond the common run, but hey, not like anyone other than me's got to see them.

( Four pics behind the cut, three of which are the same shot under different lighting conditions. )

This one I'm going to list on Etsy. I need to work it up a second time to figure out the price, since that's heavily based on the amount of time spent doing the actual work.

( Later versions of this will probably be done in sterling silver, or at least silver fill, but nothing says I can't offer multiple different versions at different price points based on base metal vs. precious metal. )

Found a coiled necklace design in a back issue of Step By Step Wire Jewelry (they're all back issues now, the magazine isn't published any more) that's based on Kenyan coiled brass designs. Theirs was done in 14 gauge copper and used a blowtorch for patina. I had 16 gauge copper and a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips. Here's the result.

( Nine or ten pictures back here. )