Photo Tutorial Inverted Spiral

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

Inverted Spiral​

Unlike other spiral weaves, the inverted spiral weave by Bative holds its shape and looks great when made using two colours.

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Materials​

For a 21.5cm bracelet, you will need:

• 80 royal blue aluminium jump rings, ID 5mm, WD 1.2mm
• 80 ice blue aluminium jump rings, ID 5mm, WD 1.2mm
• silver plated medium wrapped Tierracast toggle

Jump rings sizes (with an AR of 4.2 to 4.4) that can be used for the Inverted Spiral weave are:

• Chunky weave - ID 6.8mm, WD 1.6mm - approx 16 rings per 2cm
• Larger medium weave - ID 5mm, WD 1.2mm - approx 20 rings per 2cm
• Finer medium weave - ID 4.3mm, WD 1.00mm - approx 20 rings per 2cm
• Fine weave - ID 3.6mm, WD 0.81mm - perfect for earrings - approx 24 rings per 2cm

Tools:

• two pairs of smooth jawed chain nose, flat nose, or bent nose pliers

Useful Tips Before You Start:​

• Apart from the very start of the weave (step 1), this weave is made up of rounds of four rings - two of each colour. Have small piles of open rings ready to use so that you don't have to keep putting the chain down to open the next ring.
• Alway finish at the end of a round so that you know where you are when you restart.
• If you are using different colours to the picture steps, write it down on a piece of paper that you have to hand for reference, e.g. rbl = your first colour, ibl = your second colour.
• If like me, you prefer to only look at pictures, PLEASE read the instructions as well until you understand how this weave is constructed.

Instructions​

1. Link one ice blue ring to one closed royal blue ring. Repeat. Lay out the two pairs of rings exactly as shown with the rings in the same orientation.
   
   Place the lower pair of rings on top of the upper pair of rings. You will now join the two pairs together. Link one ice blue ring through the two ice blue rings and one royal blue ring through the two royal blue rings. Lay out the rings as shown.
   
   As shown by the arrows in the middle picture, bring down the ice blue and royal blue rings just added and join with a gash ring (preferably larger and a different colour) or a piece of wire or a paper clip.
   
   
   
   
   
2. The pairs of ice blue and royal blue rings have been pulled together now. Link one ice blue ring through the pair of ice blue rings and one royal blue ring through the pair of royal blue rings. These are the first two rings in a round of four rings.
   
   Pick up the rings in the thumb and forefinger of your non-dominant hand with the royal blue rings at the bottom. The two rings just added are like wings flapping loose at the top and bottom. In between are two pairs of stationary rings.
   
   
   
   
   
3. The first picture shows the two rings that will be linked by the third ring in the round of four rings. The two rings to be linked are shown with red dots.
   
   Link one ice blue ring through the royal blue wing ring at the bottom and the right-hand stationary ice blue ring in the centre (look at the picture with the dots).
   
   Turn the rings around by 180 degrees so that the ice blue wing ring is now at the bottom. The ice blue ring just added and the royal blue wing ring are each shown with an orange dot - the orange dots mark what will become the bottom of the rings.
   
   Move the ice blue ring just added down and grip the ring at the the orange dot with your forefinger so that it sits next to two royal blue rings. You can also move down the top of the royal blue wing ring (the top of this ring is marked with an orange dot in the third and fourth picture).
   
   
   
   
   
4. The first picture shows the two rings that will be linked by the fourth ring in the round of four rings. The two rings to be linked are shown with green dots.
   
   Link one royal blue ring through the ice blue wing ring at the bottom and the right-hand stationary royal blue ring in the centre (look at the picture with the dots).
   
   
   
   
   
5. The four rings added in the last round of four rings need to be brought up. The rings that are to be brought into position are marked with yellow and pink dots. In the pictures the yellow dots mark what will become the top of the two rings and the pink dots mark what will become the bottom of the two rings.
   
   The yellow dots on the two rings need to be moved to the top. Release the ice blue and the royal blue rings held down in step 3 and are marked with a pink dot - move them upwards so that the pink dot moves to the bottom.
   
   Push the rings together so that both the ice blue rings and both the royal blue rings are parallel as in the third picture.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Link one ice blue ring through the two ice blue rings and one royal blue ring through the royal blue ring as in step 2.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Repeat steps 3-6 until your chain is the desired length, ending with step 5.
   
   
8. At the start of your chain, remove the large ring and replace by linking one ice blue ring and the toggle ring.
   
   At the other end of the chain, link one ice blue through two ice blue rings and one royal blue through two royal blue rings. Link the toggle bar and one ice blue ring through the rings just added.
   
   

Earrings​

Made using anodised aluminium jump rings, ID 3.6mm, WD 0.81mm and dark blue earwires.

The earrings have a 4.7cm drop and use 52 royal blue and 54 ice blue rings to make a pair.

Make as the bracelet from steps 1-7 until the earrings are the desired length, finishing as step 8 and attaching an earwire to the last ring.

Graduated Necklace​

Materials​

For a 72cm (28.5 inch) Necklace, you will need:

• 200 each of colour one and colour two - ID 3.6mm, WD 0.81mm (A)
• 72 each of colour one and colour two - ID 4.3mm, WD 1.00mm (B)
• 64 each of colour one and colour two - ID 5mm, WD 1.2mm (C)
• 34 each of colour one and colour two - ID 6.8mm, WD 1.6mm (D)

Instructions​

1. To make the necklace follow steps 1-7, starting with 100 colour 1 and 100 colour 2 (A) rings. Finish using the (A) rings after a complete round of four rings.
   
   Start using the next size by joining in the rings as normal. Use 36 colour 1 and 36 colour 2 (B) rings, followed by 32 col 1 and 32 col 2 (C) rings.
   
   Use 34 colour 1 and 34 colour 2 (D) rings in both colours before completing the other half of the necklace, using the same quantities of (C), (B) and (A) rings as you did to make the first half of the necklace.
   
   
2. You can use a clasp to finish off the necklace, especially if you have made the necklace too short to fit over your head, or join the chain with a few extra jump rings.
   
   Repeat step 8 of the main instructions but link two rings each time (and no toggle bar or ring). Making sure that your chain is not twisted more than the natural spiral of the weave, link the pairs of silver and black rings (eight rings in total) with one (C) ring.
   
   

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©2021 Sarah Austin. All rights reserved.