Photo Tutorial Stretchy Rays Weave

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

Stretchy Rays Weave​

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Materials​

For a 16cm cuff, you will need:

• 128 brown EPDM o-rings, ID 7.9mm, WD 1.63mm
• 64 large ice blue anodised aluminium jump rings, ID 5.2mm, WD 1.00mm
• 64 small ice blue anodised aluminium jump rings, ID 3.8mm, WD 1.00mm
• 64 medium brown anodised aluminium jump rings, ID 4.3mm, WD 1.00mm - these rings are used to join the two strips so need to match the EPDM o-rings.
• 80 small brown anodised aluminium jump rings, ID 3.8mm, WD 1.00mm - these rings are used to join the two strips so need to match the EPDM o-rings.

Tools:

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

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Instructions​

1. Link five brown o-rings with one large ice blue ring (id 5.2mm) and lay out the o-rings as shown with two on the left-hand side and three on the right-hand side.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Turn the o-rings from step 1 so that the two o-rings are at the top and the three o-rings are at the bottom. Slide the middle o-ring at the bottom sideways and to the left, as shown in the left-hand picture.
   
   Place one o-ring in between the two bottom o-rings on the right-hand side so that you now have a single o-ring sandwiched on the left and right by the two middle o-rings. Weave one large ice blue ring (id 5.2mm) through the intersection of the new o-ring and the centre o-rings (right-hand picture).
   
   
   
   
   
3. Place two o-rings underneath the four rings. Link the o-rings with large ice blue rings (id 5.2mm) by weaving through the intersection of the centre and side rings as shown.
   
   
   
   
   
4. To complete the fan unit, weave one small ice blue ring (id 3.8mm) through the top two o-rings and the outer centre of the left-hand o-ring (first picture).
   
   Continue linking small ice blue rings (id 3.8mm) in the same way until you have used four small rings to make your fan unit look the same as the fourth picture.
   
   
   
   
   
5. To lengthen the fanned chain: Link three o-rings to the bottom pair of o-rings. Slide the middle o-ring at the bottom sideways and to the left, as shown in the first picture.
   
   Place one o-ring between the pair of o-rings on the right-hand side so that so that you now have a single o-ring sandwiched on the left and right by the two middle o-rings. Weave one large ice blue ring (id 5.2mm) through the intersection of the new o-ring and the centre o-rings (second picture).
   
   Place two o-rings underneath the four rings. Link the o-rings with large ice blue rings (id 5.2mm) by weaving through the intersection of the centre and side rings (third picture).
   
   Link four small ice blue rings (id 3.8mm) as in step 4 (fourth picture).
   
   
   
   
   
6. Repeat step 5 until the chain fits your wrist, finishing mid-step when you have attached the three o-rings with two large ice blue rings (id 5.2mm).
   
   
7. Repeat steps 1-6 to make a chain the same length as the first.
   
   
8. Lay out the two fanned chains with the same ends next to each other, as shown. Link the first pair of single o-rings with two small brown rings (id 3.8mm).
   
   
   
   
   
9. Place two o-rings in between the chains' single rings. Link the two new o-rings to the chains using two medium brown rings (id 4.3mm) each time.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Link the pair of o-rings added in the last step to each of the two chains' single o-rings at one, five, seven and eleven o'clock using two small brown rings (id 3.8mm) each time.
    
    
    
    
    
11. Repeat steps 8-10 to join the two chains together. Check the strip carefully to make sure you have linked the correct number of rings in brown and ice blue.
    
    
    
    
    
12. Link the cuff together, keeping to the pattern, using ice blue and brown jump rings.

Variations​

• For a classic look, try black o-rings with silver anodised aluminium jump rings.
• Try two shades of colour in steps 1-5 such as ice blue small rings and ice pink large rings.
• Use blocks of colour for steps 1-5 so that pairs of rays are the same colour but each pair is different - use rainbow, pastel or two-tone colours making sure the blocks of colour are the same or different on the second chain.

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©2021 Sarah Austin. All rights reserved.