I learned my first chainmaille weave
about seven or eight years ago and have been hooked ever since. I read
tutorials, experimented with different weaves, and then discovered the fabulous
"Spider,"
a chainmaille teacher well-known and beloved in the chainmaille community.
I got her DVDs and discovered that she was a young woman with a soothing
voice and a way of clearly explaining how to get those pesky rings to slide
into place and weave together to make intricately patterned jewelry. I
also watched how she held her pliers and how she opened and--even more
important--closed her
rings (there is a very particular way to do it). And I learned.
I
love it when I get into a rhythm weaving a pattern from the rings, watching my
project take shape. It is surprisingly meditative. I've made
necklaces, lanyards, earrings (these below are antiqued copper in European
4-in-1, with spikes by Karen Totten)...
...and
bracelets (this one is copper woven in half-Persian 4-in 1, with a pretty dotted heart
by Kristi
Bowman-Gruel):
I once even
weaved a flat piece of chainmaille to use as a mesh backing on which to connect
a LOT of little jasper gem dangles for the focal of a
necklace. This is the back of the focal, showing the mailled mesh:
And the front
of the necklace...
That said, I
haven't been making much chainmaille recently. There just seems to be too
many other things competing for my time, creatively and otherwise. But a
few days ago, out of the blue, I got the urge to spend some time "weaving
silver" (as Spider would say), so I decided to make some new earrings
especially for Earrings Everyday. They're made in one of my favorite
weaves, Japanese 12-in-2, and are sterling silver from top to bottom. I
love their graceful, sinuous shape.
These earrings can be found here.
As always,
thanks so much for reading--I'll see you all again in two weeks!
Meridy
xoxo
