Knitted Chain Necklace Tutorial | Easy Beginner Friendly Jewelry Pattern
If you’ve ever looked at a delicate chain necklace and thought, “I wish I could make something like that myself,” you’re in the right place. This knitted chain necklace tutorial is designed specifically for beginners who want to explore the beautiful intersection of knitting and jewelry making. You don’t need expensive tools, advanced skills, or a dedicated craft room to make this happen. All you need is a little yarn, a pair of knitting needles, and about an hour of your time.
Knitted jewelry has been quietly trending for the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. It’s affordable, deeply personal, and endlessly customizable. Whether you’re making a gift for a friend or adding a handmade piece to your own collection, a knitted chain necklace gives you something store-bought jewelry simply can’t — the satisfaction of wearing something you created with your own hands.
Let’s walk through everything you need to know, from gathering your materials to finishing your necklace with a professional-looking clasp.
Why Make a Knitted Chain Necklace?
Before we dive into the pattern itself, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate what makes this particular project so special for beginners.
First, it requires very little yarn. If you’ve been knitting for any length of time, you almost certainly have scraps sitting in a bin somewhere that are perfect for this project. Fingering weight or lace weight yarn in metallic, cotton, or silk blends gives the most convincing “chain” effect, but you can experiment with almost anything you have on hand.
Second, the technique is straightforward. This necklace is built using a basic i-cord, which is one of the simplest structures in all of knitting. Once you’ve mastered i-cord, you can apply the same skill to bracelets, bag handles, decorative trim, and dozens of other projects.
Third, the results look far more complex than the process actually is. The finished necklace has a polished, woven appearance that surprises people when you tell them you made it yourself. That gap between effort and result is part of what makes this such a rewarding beginner project.
Materials You’ll Need
Getting your materials together before you start will make the whole process smoother. Here’s what you need for a standard 18-inch knitted chain necklace:
Yarn: Approximately 50 yards of fingering weight or lace weight yarn. Metallic yarns in gold, silver, rose gold, or bronze create a convincing jewelry look. Cotton yarn in neutral tones gives a more bohemian feel. Silk blends drape beautifully and catch the light in a lovely way. Whatever you choose, look for something smooth rather than fuzzy, since texture can obscure the chain structure.
Knitting Needles: Size US 0 (2.0mm) or US 1 (2.25mm) double-pointed needles (DPNs). You’ll need at least two needles to work the i-cord. A set of four or five is handy so you don’t have to search for them, but two is the minimum.
Tapestry Needle: For weaving in ends and assembling the chain links.
Scissors: A small, sharp pair works best.
Necklace Clasp: A lobster claw clasp and jump ring set is the easiest option. You can find these at any craft store or online. Silver and gold tones are both widely available. Choose a size that feels proportional to your yarn — for fingering weight, a small or medium clasp (around 10–12mm) works nicely.
Jewelry Pliers: A pair of flat nose or chain nose pliers for attaching the clasp. If you don’t have jewelry pliers, you can sometimes work with regular small pliers, though jewelry pliers give you more control.
Optional — Jewelry Wire or Stiffener: Some knitters like to thread a thin craft wire through the finished i-cord to give the necklace more structure. This is entirely optional but can be a nice touch if you want your necklace to hold its shape more firmly.
Understanding I-Cord: The Foundation of Your Necklace
If you’ve never made an i-cord before, don’t worry — it’s one of the most beginner-friendly techniques in knitting, and once you try it, you’ll want to use it everywhere.
An i-cord is a small, tubular knitted cord made on double-pointed needles. The magic of it is that it creates a neat, rounded rope without any seaming or purling. You simply knit a small number of stitches across two needles repeatedly, sliding rather than turning your work at the end of each row.
Here’s how it works in practice. Cast on 3 stitches onto one of your double-pointed needles. Rather than turning your work the way you normally would at the end of a row, you’ll slide all three stitches to the opposite end of the same needle. The working yarn will be at the back of your work. Bring it across the back and knit the first stitch firmly, then continue knitting the remaining stitches. Slide again, and repeat.
After just a few rounds, you’ll see a small tube forming. The yarn pulling across the back closes the gap and creates that characteristic round, rope-like appearance. It feels a little strange at first, but within a few repetitions it becomes very natural.
For this necklace, you’ll work an i-cord to a specific length, then use individual segments of it to create the interlocking chain link effect.
The Knitted Chain Necklace Pattern
Now let’s get into the actual pattern. This will make a necklace approximately 18 inches long, which is a classic length that sits just below the collarbone. You can easily adjust the length by making more or fewer links.
Finished Measurements: Approximately 18 inches (45cm) in length, not including clasp.
Gauge: Gauge is not critical for this project, but aim for a tightly knitted cord so the links hold their shape well.
Abbreviations:
CO = Cast on
K = Knit
BO = Bind off
Rep = Repeat
Step One: Making Your Chain Links
Each chain link is made from a small i-cord segment that is then joined into a loop and woven together with the previous link before closing. This is what creates the interlocking chain effect.
Cast on 3 stitches onto a double-pointed needle using your chosen yarn.
Work an i-cord as described above (slide, knit across, repeat) for approximately 2.5 inches (6.5cm). This length can vary slightly depending on your yarn weight and personal preference. A slightly shorter cord creates smaller, more refined links. A slightly longer cord creates larger, more casual links. Experiment with a test link before committing to a full necklace.
When your i-cord segment reaches your desired length, cut the yarn, leaving a tail of about 6 inches. Thread this tail onto your tapestry needle.
To close the link into a ring, pass the tapestry needle through the cast-on edge of the same segment, then bring both ends together so the cord forms a circle. Use the tail to sew through both the cast-on and bound-off edges a few times to secure the join firmly. Pull snugly but not so tight that the cord bunches or distorts. Weave in the ends as neatly as possible. Because you want the links to look clean, take an extra moment here to bury your tails well inside the cord.
You now have your first chain link.
Step Two: Creating the Chain
For your second link (and every subsequent one), you’ll work the same process, but with one additional step before you close the ring. When your second i-cord segment is finished, thread it through the first closed link before joining it into a ring. This is how the chain interlocks.
Here’s the sequence for each new link:
Work your i-cord to the same length as your first link. Hold the open i-cord segment and thread it through the most recently completed (and closed) link. Now close this new segment into a ring exactly as you did before, sewing through both ends and weaving in the tails.
Continue in this manner — threading each new link through the previous one before closing it — until your chain reaches the desired length. For an 18-inch necklace, you’ll typically need around 22 to 26 links, depending on the size of your links. Work a test chain of five or six links and measure it to calculate how many you’ll need in total.
Step Three: Checking Your Work As You Go
As your chain grows, take a moment every five or six links to lay it flat and inspect it. Look for a few things. First, make sure the links are all oriented correctly and that the chain lies flat without twisting. Second, check that your link closures are all tight and tidy — a loose join can unravel over time. Third, keep an eye on the consistency of your link size. If one link is noticeably longer or shorter than the others, it will interrupt the visual rhythm of the chain.
If you spot a problem early, it’s much easier to fix. Undoing a single link and remaking it takes only a few minutes.
Step Four: Attaching the Clasp
Once your chain is the right length, you’ll attach the clasp components to each end to finish the necklace.
Most beginner-friendly findings sets include a lobster claw clasp and a short length of chain extender, which gives the wearer a range of wearing lengths. You’ll also need two jump rings — the small metal rings that connect the findings to your knitted links.
Using your jewelry pliers, open a jump ring by gripping it on both sides of the cut and twisting one side toward you rather than pulling the ring open sideways (pulling it sideways distorts the round shape and weakens the metal). Slip one end link of your knitted chain onto the open jump ring, then attach the lobster claw clasp to the same ring. Close the jump ring by reversing the twist until the two ends meet snugly.
On the opposite end of your necklace, open a second jump ring, slip on the last link of your chain, and add the extender chain or a simple solitary jump ring that the lobster claw can clip onto. Close this ring as before.
Give everything a gentle tug to confirm it’s secure before wearing.
Tips for Getting the Best Results
Choose your yarn thoughtfully. As mentioned earlier, smooth yarns show the chain structure most clearly. Avoid anything fuzzy, boucle, or heavily textured for your first attempt. Once you’ve made a few necklaces and understand how the links interact, you can experiment with more unusual yarns.
Keep your tension consistent. I-cord works best at a slightly tighter tension than you might use for regular knitting. If your cord is too loose, the links will look floppy and the necklace won’t drape well. If you’re used to knitting loosely, try going down one needle size.
Work at a comfortable pace. There’s no rush here. Making each link carefully and joining it neatly will give you a much more polished result than rushing through the process. Put on some music or a podcast and enjoy the repetition.
Use a contrasting thread to mark the midpoint. If you’re making a longer necklace, it can be helpful to tie a small piece of contrasting yarn around the center link as a reference point. This helps you keep track of your progress and ensures the clasp ends up balanced.
Block your necklace if needed. If your links are curling or not lying flat after assembly, a light wet blocking can help. Dampen the necklace gently, shape it flat on a blocking mat, and let it dry completely. This works particularly well with cotton or natural fiber yarns.
Customization Ideas
One of the best things about making your own jewelry is that you can make it exactly the way you want it. Here are some ideas to personalize your knitted chain necklace once you’ve got the basic pattern down.
Add a pendant. Before assembling your necklace, thread a small charm, bead, or stone pendant onto the center link. This creates a focal point that elevates the whole piece.
Mix yarn colors. Alternate links in two or three complementary colors for a playful, eye-catching effect. Gold and rose gold together look particularly sophisticated.
Vary the link size. Try making a few larger links in the center of the necklace that gradually decrease toward the clasp. This graduated effect mimics the look of high-end chain necklaces.
Make a matching bracelet. Using the same technique, work a shorter chain of about 7 to 8 inches and attach a smaller clasp. A matching set makes a wonderful gift.
Experiment with wire. Threading fine craft wire through your i-cord links before closing them gives the necklace more structure and a slightly different drape. It also makes the links hold a rounder shape, which can look very professional.
Caring for Your Knitted Chain Necklace
Handmade knitted jewelry deserves a little extra care to keep it looking its best.
Store your necklace flat or on a jewelry stand to prevent tangling. If you have multiple knitted necklaces, keeping them in individual small zip bags or pouches helps prevent them from catching on each other.
Spot clean as needed with a damp cloth and mild soap. Avoid soaking the necklace if it has metal findings, since prolonged moisture can cause jump rings and clasps to tarnish. If your yarn allows it, you can hand wash the entire necklace gently and dry it flat.
Keep the necklace away from direct sunlight for extended periods, especially if you’ve used a yarn that’s prone to fading.
Final Thoughts
A knitted chain necklace sits at a wonderful crossroads between fiber art and jewelry making. It asks very little of you in terms of materials or prior skill, and it gives back a wearable, beautiful object that you made entirely from scratch. That’s a rare and lovely thing.
If this is your first time making i-cord, be patient with yourself during those first few links. Like most knitting techniques, it clicks quickly and becomes intuitive before long. And once you’ve finished your first necklace and held it up to see the links interlocking just as they should, you’ll likely find yourself already planning your next one.
Share your finished necklaces in knitting communities or on social media — the handmade jewelry world is wonderfully supportive, and seeing other people’s interpretations of the same pattern is genuinely inspiring. Tag your work, leave comments, ask questions, and most importantly, enjoy the process.
Happy knitting.
