Tutorial! 4 in 1 European Chainmaille Weave!

A lot of folks might think that chainmaille is difficult, if not impossible. In some cases, it can be, but for the most part, it's not. With patience and practice, you can definitely get into chainmaille making.

Chainmaille has a long history, and it's been used in many cultures and countries, both as protection, and as jewelry. Chainmaille may not protect against modern weapons, but it was an extremely effective armor against swords, spears, and even arrows. The tighter the weave, the less likely something pointy was going to get through. These days, it's unnecessary. Still, many people enjoy making body armor for re-enactments, and especially jewelry.

There are many types of "weaves". It's hard to picture weaving with tiny metal jump rings, but that's exactly how it's done. Imagine making a piece of fabric out of metal rings, and you'd be spot on. Now, other weaves create circles, and even squares, and this is how the jewelry is made. Some of the most popular weaves are the Byzantine, the Box Chain, Half Persian, and the European 4 in 1.

The European 4 in 1 is the weave we'll be working on today, and I can tell you it looks a lot more complicated than it actually is.

Take a deep breath, and gather up the following items:

~a cup of coffee or tea
~two flat nose pliers
~something with a sharp tip for moving and turning jump rings that won't cooperate
~at least 100 inexpensive 5mm jump rings, preferably in two different colors for visual learning (you'll want 60% of one color, closed jump rings, and 40% of another color, open)
~a clasp, I prefer toggle clasps because they go along with the circle theme
~a felt jewelry mat, so that your materials don't roll away
~be sure to be in a quiet area; you'll need a lot of patience, and very few distractions

Step One:

Place four closed jump rings into one open jump ring. Close the jump ring. Using your sharp tipped tool (I used a loom pick), separate the four rings so that they surround the center jump ring.

Step Two:

TIP: At this point, the weave is too weak to keep from being tangled, so keep it as flat as you can, and avoid lifting it off the mat.

Place two closed jump rings into one open jump ring. Slide the open jump ring through jump ring in the upper right hand corner, underneath and through the jump ring in the upper left hand corner. Close the jump ring, and arrange the jump rings so that everything is laying flat.

In this tutorial, I stopped after a bit, because I wasn't feeling up to making an entire piece of jewelry. What you need to do is continue Step 2 until you have reached your desired length.

Continue adding to create the length you want (left) and then, follow Step 3 by working two closed jump rings in one open jump ring (right).

Step Three:

Place two closed jump rings into one open jump ring. Slide the open jump ring underneath the very lower right hand jump ring, and up through the jump ring above it. Close the jump ring, and separate the two closed jump rings so that they lay flat.

Step Four:

Place one closed jump ring into an open jump ring and slide open jump ring underneath the jump ring you just added. Come up underneath the center jump ring, and over the jump ring above that one. Close jump ring and adjust the jump rings so that they lay flat. Continue this up the length of your chainmaille piece.

Step Five:

TIP: At this point, the weave can easily hold strong, and you can pick it up to work on it.

Take an open jump ring and add it to the very bottom of the piece so that it connects two of the jump rings. Do the same with a another jump ring, just to the side of the one you just added. (Both jump rings will be coming through the center ring). Connect another jump ring to those two, and add toggle clasp. Repeat this at the other end of the piece.

Once you have the 4 in 1 European weave down, you can continue adding to it to make it as wide as you want!

On the left is a completed piece.

Once you get the hang of this weave, you'll be hard pressed to find time for anything else for a while. If this is your first time working with chainmaille, and jump rings, you should definitely do a little more research as to ID (inner diameter), OD (outer diameter), measurements in millimeters, gauges, and different types of metals. This will give you a better idea as to why size really does matter.

Good luck, have patience, and keep learning!
Love,

Jenny Kaye

Back On Track! (With A Lot Of Photos!!)

So, this household has suffered. We've had pinkeye, pneumonia, upper respiratory infections, ear infections, and it has NOT been fun. But, we are on the upside again, and I've got a lot to chat about!

First, I bought the Martha Stewart Knit and Weave Loom, and it's AWESOME!! I've made four placemats and a dishcloth, and I'm gathering some wool yarn for a knit loomed sweater. At least, I have high hopes that it'll turn out like a sweater...I can be a bit ambitious.  I have to say that this is a really cool tool, and I think it should be a staple in any crafter's stash. You can make embellishments, clothing, and so many other things! Just look at THIS! (I love her accent!)

Second, I've been teaching myself peyote stitch, for beading, and a new chainmaille pattern. I'm in love with this beading thing, and I don't see myself giving it up any time soon. In fact, I just bought a bunch of size 11 beads from Fusion Beads. And beading needles...and beading thread...and I REALLY hope that's all I ordered. But, I can't make any promises.

Third, I'm working on a granny hexagon blanket, and I'm loving the colors. It's currently in the beginning stages of creation.

I could be spreading myself too thin...I'm not including cleaning my house, bathing, feeding, cuddling, clothing my kids, doing laundry, cooking meals, grocery shopping, feeding guinea pigs, sleeping, watering plants... Eventually, everything gets done. Eventually. I definitely need two of me. Or seven...

And! Tomorrow! There will be an AWESOME tutorial! (It's a surprise!) So, stay tuned!

Love,
Jenny Kaye

I Love KnitPicks!

Do you have a favorite online store? One that you keep going back to, every time you have a little extra money in your bank account?

I have a couple of shops out my way, in Seattle, that I love to go to. One is The Weaving Works. It's got yarn, knitting and crochet tools, and, my favorite, raw and prepared wool. I love this store because of the way it's set up. The wool is displayed in baskets of every size, and the prices are very fair. They sell spinning wheels, spindles, combs, and everything else you can think of when it comes to the art of spinning. Another store I really like is Acorn Street Shop. It's so tiny, and cozy, and their book section is great! Aside from great products and prices, they have some really sweet people to help you out.

But, there's an online store that I go to for everything. Inspiration, day dreaming, and spending money. They have one of the widest array of yarn and wool of any online store, and their prices are awesome. And, after you spend $50, shipping is free! They have a plethora of yarn, of every color, weight, and fiber you can imagine! They also sell un~dyed, prepared wool at a price that can't be beat.

Wanna go check it out?? I probably will once I'm done with this post! It's KnitPicks!! And I LOVE them! I have a huge bag upstairs with nothing but their Palette yarn. I've made toys, gloves, and socks out of this yarn. I also buy my prepared wool from them, and I recently purchased an interchangeable circular knitting needle set. It comes with a neat little clear carrying case, too. You can find it here. What I love most about this set is that it comes with 4 cables, so you can have 4 projects going on at any one time, which I am very fond of doing!

I have a very tiny shop on Etsy, and being able to afford the tools I need to keep it going is very important to me. I want quality, but I don't have much to invest. At KnitPicks, you don't sacrifice the quality or your money.


*KnitPicks is not aware that I'm endorsing them!*

What Inspires You?

What inspires you? Is it the color of the sunset right before twilight? Is it the bright red rhododendrons growing in your yard, or the tea pot you recently bought on Etsy? Is it a song? Is it the color palette your local yarn shop has in the window?

Whether you create or decorate, you are constantly looking for inspiration! Sometimes, you already have an idea in your head, but you need to figure out how to put it all together. Other times, you might be facing a creative brick wall, and you need to find something to help you get to the other side.

For every one successful creation I make, I have at least three others that just didn't make the cut, because I was stuck. Getting unstuck is the hard part. Recently, I was trying to step out of my comfort zone and create a piece of jewelry that was completely different than my usual chainmaille pieces. I cringed. I perspired. I lay on the floor, face down, and groaned, while my kids no doubt gave the "Mom's lost it" look to each other. It was quite the pathetic display of frustration, but I've always been one for dramatics.

I had to start at the beginning. What does creating mean to me? Because, it doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. While I love the streamline, supposedly simple look of metal chainmaille, I wanted something different. Something colorful...something red! And something gold! Inside my chronically disorganized box of findings, I discovered I had a bag of brass leafs, and a brass chain. In my pendant box, I found this bright red poppy-esque flower, and it was big. It was bold! So, I made this:


My inspiration came from a song by Florence and The Machine, "Spectrum". After I had picked myself up off the floor, I put on the Ceremonials album, and just listened.

"When we first came here,
we were cold and we were clear,
With no colors on our skin,
until you let the spectrum in."

This song makes me feel brave, and alive. It breathes color into the dull, becomes so vibrant, that even death can't escape it.

The point is, there is inspiration everywhere. You can find it by taking a walk, listening to music, praying to God, dancing in your living room. It can be in the tiniest rock you find, or the tallest evergreen. The way the clouds rest in the curves of the mountains, or the way the sun shines off of the crashing waves. Sometimes it takes nothing at all to be inspired, and other times, it seems to break your spirit.

My top 3 inspirations for this day:

~Spectrum by Florence and The Machine
~My tea cup and saucer
~My river rocks and purply-pink pine leafed flowers



Inspiration can bring motivation, and motivation might bring success. So, tell me! What inspires you?

Jenny Kaye