First Love crochet necklace has been so named as a celebration and a tribute to crochet, which was my first love. The art of crochet has been revived and renewed in this contemporary classic piece – showcasing the Swarovski flashes of brilliance embedded all along the necklace.
First Love beaded crochet necklace (CH0241 – Sold)
I have included details DIY notes in this article.
The handmade focal bead is a declaration of strength, individualtiy, and beauty. It is bold and elegant.
The focal bead sits snugly on the necklace. But you can move it if you would like an asymmetrical look. It is snug enough to stay in place.
I love it when a piece is versatile enough to offer the wearer more than one choice!
The First Love crochet necklace is finished off with 0.925 Sterling Silver “eternity” lobster clasp (aka parrot clasp) – both for its timeless elegance and for its surety of security.
The “rope chain” is crocheted. It is an intermix of bright silver metal beads with small Swarovski crystals (#5328, Clear Crystal, 3mm). The crystals provide unending flashes of sparkle all through the necklace.
TIP: always note the length of a piece to ensure that it will fit you perfectly.
Approximate length: 37.5 cm / 15 inch
Materials: lead & nickel free silver metal beads, Swarovski crystals, Sterling Silver clasp
Care:
This unique piece of jewelry will last many many years with appropriate gentle care. Keep in own box/case, separate from other pieces of items (jewelry) that may scratch or entangle with it. Keep clear of harsh abrasives and unnecessary soaking in water.
Status: Sold
Crochet has been with me through many years, many forms, and many obsessive moments. At times, I have abandoned it. But it always nudges me, no matter how many years of neglect have passed. It calls to me still. It has now once again returned to enthral me with its versatility and its capability to create beautiful, contemporary looks.
DIY Details of First Love Crochet Necklace
Sorry. Some photos are a bit crappy. Result of late night endeavours!
Beaded Crochet Rope
Preparation: shows the sequence of beads. All the beads have to be strung before the crochet can begin.
For this crochet beaded rope, I decided on 3 beads per row, and about 204 rows ==> 612 beads in total.
As you can see from the photo, the stringing sequence is [5 metal beads, 1 Swarovski bicone] ==> 6 beads (i.e. 2 rows)
So working it all out, there are 102 Swarovski bicones, and 510 metal beads.
TIP: It is always better to over-estimate and string more beads than what you might end up needing. Your final length is determined as you work and measure it. You don’t want to have to break off your crochet thread to string more beads in the middle of your work if you can help it.
Materials for the First Love Crochet Rope
- 510 x 2.5 mm seamless round metal beads (silver plated brass; anti-nickel & anti-lead)
- 102 x Swarovski #5328 XILION bicone beads (Clear Crystal, 3mm)
- strong beading nylon thread – white (ILU #4)
- Clover crochet hook #9
TIP: Always have an extra fine crochet hook nearby. I use Clover #12 (0.6mm). This much smaller hook is a life-saver. If you should drop a stitch while doing the crochet, it is virtually impossible to grab the dropped stitch using the main hook. You need a much finer one to be able to pick up that dropped stitch. Otherwise you might find yourself un-raveling all the way back to the start! Not fun.
Here is close up of the beaded crochet rope. The string virtually “disappears” into the piece. Exactly what you want for your crochet beaded necklace.
Beaded Focal
Sorry, a blurry pic to be sure! This is the base of the focal bead. It is worked in RAW (right angle weave). I used a double-sided approach and 6lb invisible nylon thread.
Start off with the center row – which is 3mm Stardust silver beads. You want to make the length long enough to go round the crochet rope of your beaded necklace. Keep in mind you will have 1 more final “row” of RAW to work to be able to join the ends to make a tube (bead) around the crochet rope. (Like “zipping” up in peyote stitch.)
When you have the length you want, you will have 2 threads coming out of the end of your work. Using only ONE of the threads, work in RAW with shinny 2.5mm silver beads – to finish and neaten both edges. After that, weave in multiple times and with multiple half-hitches randomly along the way to finish off neatly and securely. Cut off that thread.
At this stage, the piece is still flat as it will be much easier to work the overlay beads next. And you still have one long working thread.
With the remaining work thread, work the overlay flowers. Here I used Light Siam and Crystal Silver Night (4mm) – each topped with a 2.5mm seamless silver metal bead.
At the end of this, join the ends so that it forms a tube around the crochet rope. Finish off the last overlay “flower”. If you have not done so already, thread on this tube bead onto your beaded crochet rope.
Note that the focal bead has a red edging. This is for the color as well as to tighten the hole-edges of the focal bead.
I have done this in 2 rows with 11/0 seed beads.
Row 1: sew each red seed bead in-between 2 silver metal beads, tightening the bead-hole as you go. You want it tight and snug around the crochet rope, but not too tight that it will not move. Make sure, as you sew on the red seed beads that you do not sew the focal bead onto the crochet rope.
Row 2: Sew on another row of red seed beads – this time between the previous row’s red seed beads. (This is like peyote stitch.) Tighten appropriately as you go. This gives another row of stability to the hole-edge of the focal beaded bead.
IMPORTANT: You do not add the clasp till the focal bead is all done. This is just in case the focal bead will not fit over the clasp you choose for your crochet beaded necklace.
For the clasp on this crochet beaded necklace, I have chosen an “eternity” Sterling Silver lobster clasp. It is elegant and unobtrusive and it is secure. I have used the threads from the ends of each side of the crochet rope to secure the clasp in place and to ensure that it is a smooth transition from crochet rope to clasp.
I used Sterling Silver bullion (or “gimp”) which gives it a much more finished look (instead of having threads showing around the loop of the clasp) and which also provides protection for the thread from friction.
As securely as possible, the bullion has been “merged” back into the crochet rope and the thread is woven in multiple times, multiple directions, with random half-hitches before cutting off.
And so, there you have it: First Love Crochet Necklace – beads and all!
First Love beaded crochet necklace (CH0241)
