Chainmaille

I think I may have found a new hobby…

What am I up to now?

Hmmm, two pairs of pliers, some jump rings and a little bit of a bracelet. Any ideas about what I’ve been making?

My first chainmaille bracelet. It isn’t perfect, but I still love it.

It is a Byzantine weave chainmaille bracelet, made from a kit I picked up from Hyperlynks. I had so much fun making this, even though I had to fight with my tools a little bit. (I only  have one good chain nose plier. I had to use a substandard round nose plier as well, and it caused a lot of issues.) Some of my jump rings aren’t closed all the way because I was struggling with my tools, but the result is still lovely.

Close-up of Byzantine weave

Chainmaille is my type of jewellery making, for sure. I do really love all the jewellery with Swarovski and pearls and bling, but it isn’t really me. I love simple chains and silver (real or coloured). There are also chainmaille patterns that incorporate a little bit of Swarovski that I may eventually try (a girl does need a bit of sparkle once in a while). I’m looking forward to trying more in the future. Hyperlynks is supposed to be at both the spring Creativ Festival and the Toronto Bead Society Spring Fair, so I’ll have lots of chances to get new kits and decide what I like making. Maybe some pieces will eventually show up on my etsy shop.

If you are interested in giving Byzantine weave a try yourself (and, really, it is super easy), there are some great tutorials on Youtube. Or, you could check out the tutorial on The Daily Skein. I’ve also started a Pinterest board of weaves and projects that look interesting to me.