European 4in1 is a great place for beginners to start. This weave although best done with rings that have an Aspect Ratio of 3.5, it is very forgiving and you can use much larger rings and still get a nice looking piece.
Suggested Supplies List (20cm or 8” chain):
0.8mm(20AWG)2.75mmID x 224 rings OR
1.0mm(18AWG)3.50mmID x 192 rings OR
1.2mm(16AWG)4.50mmID x 160 rings
1 clasp
2 pairs of pliers (any combination of chain, flat or bent nose)
There are a lot of different reasons why people choose the metals they do...price point, allergies, colours. And the combinations are endless.
Just to help you decide which metal might be best for you project we have a small run down all the metals we use/sell at Aussie Maille.
Colour: Silver, very bright and shiny. (Be carful not
I am sure you will find this table useful to you when converting gauge systems. At Aussie Maille we try and keep the listed rings in one gauge system (AWG), but we also list both the gauge name and measurements so you can be sure of what the diameter of the wire is.
| SWG | AWG | |||
| inches | mm's | Gauge | inches | mm's |
| 0.128 | 3.25 | 10 | 0.102 | 2.59 |
| 0.166 | 2.95 | 11 | 0.091 | 2.3 |
| 0.104 | 2. | |||
Spiral 6in1 is an easy weave that looks fabulous when made with half round rings. The profile of the wire allows the spiral shape to be held without the need to continually twist the weave as you would if made with round wire rings.
If though, you do only have round wire rings, the Double Spiral 6in1 is the weave for you.
Click on each image to get a larger shot of each step.
These lists are made up of both weaves I have personally done, or have on my To Do List. This means that some of these figures are based on experience, and others on theory and found sizes. The ring sizes in the Tested column show those sizes that have been tried and found to work. The material used has also been listed. The ring sizes listed in the Ideal Ring ID column are based on calculations and are therefore provided as a guide only to help you with your mailling.
They are a work in
These lists are made up of both weaves I have personally done, or have on my To Do List. This means that some of these figures are based on experience, and others on theory and found sizes. The ring sizes in the Tested column show those sizes that have been tried and found to work. The material used has also been listed. The ring sizes listed in the Ideal Ring ID column are based on calculations and are therefore provided as a guide only to help you with your mailling.
They are a work in
When I first started mailling and looking around for ring sizes a LOT of them were in inches....it did my poor mind in trying to work out a conversion. I found a table similar to this one to be extremely helpful, and still refer to mine when it's not a size I am used to.
Have you got a ring ID that isn’t listed, here is how you can convert it yourself.
You need to convert the fraction to a decimal. You can do this by dividing the top number (numerator) by the bottom number
Although there are various tools that you can/will use in creating chain maille the main tools are pliers. You will need two pairs of pliers (one for each hand) and I often find that if you use a bent nosed in your non dominant hand and a chain nosed in your dominant hand you will have a great set of tools for most situations you come up against. Below is a small run down of the more common types of pliers you will find yourself using.
The Byzantine Weave has long been considered a beginners weave. It’s a fabulous looking weave that forms the basis of many variations. I believe it is that virtue that makes this the best place to start your chain maille journey on.
Once you have this weave down pat you will be able to create many more fabulous chain maille pieces using this one simple concept.
Suggested Supplies List (20cm or 8” chain):
0.8mm(20AWG)2.75mmID x 224 rings OR
1.0mm(18AWG)3.50mmID x 192 rings OR
