Curious About Chain Maille?

Hey Everyone!

If you're like i've always been in regards to having a go at chain maille which was "No, no and no....i really don't fancy it.".....then i strongly recommend you take no notice of that little voice and have a go. You'll be so glad you did....i know i am! In fact, i might even go as far as saying that i'm a little addicted to the Byzantine chain maille weave....:0 It's simple to do once you know how and it looks stunning. The brilliant thing is, you only need chain maille rings/Jump Rings and a couple of pairs of Pliers to get going with this so it's very cost effective too.

Now, when it comes to chain maille, i'm not gonna lie...there are so many different weaves and some of them can be super fiddly and quite tricky to get the hang of. I will tell you, i now have the patience of a saint after trying the European 4 in 1 weave....which is good right?? ;D There are some amazing chain maille jewellery pieces out there. I came across this beautiful 'Green Chainmaille Bracelet' (pictured below) whilst browsing The Alchemists Vessel's Blog. It features vibrant green rings captured inside bright polished Silver. Visit Alixandra's Etsy shope here. 

To begin with i decided to try out some of the more common basic chain maille weaves to get into the swing of things. I've completed two quick tutorials for you guys to follow so far and another one almost complete. The Japanese 12 in 2, the Byzantine, and the European 4 in 1 which will be appearing next week. Pictured below is the Japanese 12 in 2 which is quite simple to do and is really pretty. You can create this beautiful Flower Shape and simply join numerous ones together to create a bracalet, or you can keep adding to it to create different Shapes.

The Japanese 12 in 2 triangle.....

Below is the infamous European 4 in 1 chain maille pattern which is what they used to make armour in the middle ages. Although this is probably the most common maille pattern, I found it to be the trickiest to get right as the rings seem to want to sit in different directions! I was super happy after finishing this tiny little patch (which took me rather longer than expected and involved many expletives). I have a lot of respect for those who create whole garments using this technique!

Now the Byzantine (below) is by far my favourite chain maille pattern so far. It is simple to do, highly addictive and produces stunning results. It's the perfect chain maille pattern for creating striking necklaces and Bracelets. Follow my Byzantine Chain Maille guide here. 

Here is a finished bracelet using the Byzantine pattern. It was made using antique Gold and Copper Artistic Wire Chain Maille rings with a simple gold toggle Clasp attached to the ends. 

If you want to expand your Chain Maille knowledge further you can check out our books on the subject. Artistic Wire's 'Basic & Advanced Chain Maille' (below) is a fantastic book to show you how to get started and carry on to some of the more advanced weaves.

We also have a fantastic range of chain maille rings/jump rings in a variety of sizes and colours. I would recommend starting with some of the larger rings until you get the hang of the techniques as they are easier to work with and far less fiddly. Shop for chain maille rings here.

So i hope this has given you a little inspiration to give chain maille a go. Look out for the European 4 in 1 tutorial which is going to be posted next week, and if anyone has a go at any of the guides i'd love to see what you make. Just drop me a comment or a picture in the comments below.

See you next week!

Emma xo