Kuchi Coil - One of my favorite adornments.
Cut 8 1/2 inches of 18g wire. Cut 28 inches of 20 or 22 g wire.
Find the middle of the 18 g wire, begin winding the 20 or 22g wire around the 18g wire making sure that the wire you are winding remains straight side by side with each turn. Continue until the wire is wound around totally and turn the 18 g around to continue the winding of the smaller wire on the opposite side. Please remember to wind the wire going away from your body.
After your 18g wire is complete begin winding the 18g wire around with the round nose pliers. Continue to do this and as you wind you will meet the wound wire. Continue to wind with the encased wire until all of the wire is wound into a bead. This is the Kuchi Coil. You can cut the ends of the wire as short as you please and then run a 16 g wire through the Kuchi Bead and make your connections. At that time you can twist the Kuchi Coil the opposite direction to get the rounded look to the bead. You can make your own recipes for this bead. Vary the length of the 18 g wire and double the small wire to create your own size of Kuchi Bead. Use various colors of wire.
Various size suggestions:
Small Kuchi Coil: 7 inches of 22 g and 19 inches in 24 g
Medium Kuchi Coil: 6 inches 18g and 18 inches of 20g
Large Kuchi Coil: 14 inches of 16g and 83 inches of 22g
Ear Ring Kuchi Coil:
18 inches of 20 g and 6 inches of 18g.
I use the Kuchi Coil in many of my Lampwork and Off Loom Bead Weaving Brooches found at Arts Prescott Cooperative Gallery -- www.artsprescott.com