As you may have noticed by now, I’m always interested in ways to incorporate fibers in traditional metalwork. To do that, I often research into textile, basket weaving and knotting techniques.
Last Sunday, I started with the four cord braiding, which ends up forming a rope. It took me forever to understand how it’s done but I can assure you that it’s easier than it might look at first. Check out this video for instructions.
Immediately after figuring it out I had to make two new bracelets: I formed a strip of flattened silver wire into a coil to make a bead for the first bracelet and turned an etched silver house into a charm for the second. Both bracelets were finished with handmade silver toggle clasps.
I moved on trying the knotless netting technique, which is a great way to encapsulate a stone. You can do this using either a cord or very thin wire. My first sample is certainly very sloppy but there’s definitely a lot of potential.
Instructions can be found here and here. This video is also very helpful.
Here’s a nice compilation of various knots, enough to keep me busy for days.
Thanks for reading!