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Photo Tutorial European 4-1 MicroMaille Crossover Bracelet

Author's Note
Our projects were very popular during the lifetime of our business and we wanted to ensure they continued to provide inspiration for chain maillers whatever their experience. It's a pleasure to see they will live on with Chainmaillers.com
-Sarah Austin

European 4-1 MicroMaille Crossover Bracelet

Using tiny jump rings in micromaille versions of weaves, produces delicate, finely woven pieces. If you are familiar with European 4-1, try this bracelet - it's straight forward in design with a clever crossover. The final piece has the quality of fluid mesh.

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Materials

For a 20.5cm cuff, you will need:
  • 346 ice pink anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 2.7mm, WD 0.81mm
  • 348 black ice anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 2.7mm, WD 0.81mm
  • 2 black ice anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 3.8mm, WD 1.00mm - for attaching the clasp (called clasp rings in the instructions)
  • 2 silver plated 3-1 end Tierracast spacer bars #5 - 15mm
  • silver plated keepsake Tierracast toggle
Tools:
  • two pairs of smooth jawed chain nose, flat nose, or bent nose pliers

Instructions

  1. Link one ice pink ring through four closed ice pink rings and position the rings as shown, making sure that you orientate the rings in exactly the same way (LH picture).

    Weave one ice pink ring down through the lower left hand ring and up through the lower right hand ring. Add two closed ice pink rings before closing the jump rings (centre picture). Repeat one more time.

    Weave one ice pink ring in the same way but add two closed black ice rings before closing the ice pink ring (RH picture).
    1613421900041.png


  2. Continue weaving black ice rings in the same way until you have four ice pink rings and three black ice rings down the centre of the chain (LH picture).

    Weave one black ice ring through the two lower black ice rings - do not add any closed jump rings (RH picture). You will now have four ice pink and four black ice rings in each row.
    1613421913612.png


  3. From step 3 you will only be able to add rings one at a time due to the small rings used.

    Weave one ice pink ring up through the second and then first ice pink ring of your chain and close (LH picture).

    Repeat, weaving one ice pink ring through the third, then second ring of the chain (centre picture).

    Continue adding rings in this way until you have linked four ice pink, then three black ice rings. Link the fourth black ice ring through the last black ice ring of the previous row only (RH picture).
    1613421926850.png


  4. Link one ice pink ring to the first ice pink ring of the previous row only (LH picture).

    Weave one ice pink ring through the second, then first ring of the chain (centre picture).

    Continue adding rings in this way until you have linked four ice pink, then four black ice rings.

    Note: In steps 3 and 4 you will have linked one ring to a single ring of the previous row alternating between the top and the bottom. It is important to be aware of where you are adding the single ring to ensure that you make a straight strip of European 4-1. Check your edge rings carefully to make sure they stay the same.
    1613421944773.png


  5. In this step you will begin to make separate strips of colour that are not joined.

    Weave three ice pink rings as in step 3. Link the fourth ice pink ring to the fourth ice pink ring of the previous row (LH picture).

    Weave four ice pink rings as in step 4 (RH picture).
    1613421954224.png


  6. Repeat step 5 until you have added twelve rows as in the picture.
    1613421964635.png


  7. Repeat step 5 and 6 with the black ice rings. Check that you have added twelve rows of each colour. The last row of each colour should have the same ring orientation.
    1613421982407.png


  8. Steps 8-10 will join the two strips together again.

    Begin the next row of black ice rings by adding three rings to the black ice strip.
    1613421998202.png


  9. Cross the ice pink strip over the top of the black ice strip. Using one black ice ring (this will be the fourth ring of the row you started in step 8), link through the first ice pink ring and the last black ice ring of the previous black ice row. The arrow points to the ring just added.
    1613422012914.png


  10. Continue adding four ice pink rings to complete the row.
    1613422028811.png


  11. Add three more rows of four black ice and four ice pink rings - you will have a short block of four rows that are joined.
    1613422045129.png


  12. Continue making the bracelet in the same way, referring to steps 5-11 until the bracelet is the desired length allowing for the spacer bars and toggle - these will add 3.5cm to the bracelet length. You can shorten or lengthen the end blocks of rings for small adjustments in length.

  13. Using the same small rings used to make the bracelet, attach the ends of the bracelet to the three loops of the spacer bars, weaving through the two outer rings on each edge and the two centre rings. Link the toggle ring and toggle bar to the spacer bars using the clasp rings.

Variations

  • Use champagne with ice pink, ice blue or matt silver for a soft vintage look or ice blue and royal blue for contrasting shades of the same colour.
  • The classic gold and black colour combination gives a bracelet that can be worn with any colour - please note that our current silver colour is marginally too small for this weave.
  • Try changing colours mid-strip by changing colour halfway along the single strip of the colour that will be passing underneath.
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©2021 Sarah Austin. All rights reserved.
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