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
For a 42cm necklace, you will need:
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©2021 Sarah Austin. All rights reserved.
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
V-neck European 4-1 Necklace
Join two strands of European 4-1 with a 45 degree seam to make this V-shaped necklace.
Materials
For a 42cm necklace, you will need:- 327 black ice anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 4.2mm, WD 1.2mm - A
- 220 ice pink anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 4.2mm, WD 1.2mm - B
- 19 light amethyst faceted Czech glass drops, 5x7mm
- 19 headpins, 2.5 or 5cm
- gunmetal plated 2-strand clasp
- two pairs of smooth jawed chain nose, flat nose, or bent nose pliers
Instructions
- Link four closed black ice rings (A) with one ice pink ring (B). Lay the jump rings out as shown. You may find it helpful to add an eyepin or paperclip to the ice pink ring so that you know which end is the start of your chain.
- Weave one ice pink ring (B) down through the bottom left hand black ice ring (A) and then up through the bottom right hand black ice ring (A). Add two more closed black ice rings (A) before closing the ice pink ring.
- Repeat step 2 until you have fifty three ice pink rings on your chain.
- You will now widen the chain. Starting at the top of your chain, link one ice pink ring (B) through the first two black ice rings and add two closed black ice rings (A). Close the ice pink ring (B).
- Link one ice pink ring through two black ice edge rings and the lower black ice ring added in step 4. Add one black ice closed ring (A) and close the ice pink jump ring.
Continue adding jump rings in this way until you reach the end of your chain.
- You will now shape the end of the chain to form one half of the V. At the end of the chain, link one ice pink ring (B) to the left hand and centre black ice rings (A). Add two closed black ice rings before closing the ice pink ring.
- Link one ice pink ring up through two centre black ice rings and the right hand black ice ring. Do NOT add any closed rings - this ice pink ring secures the centre ring added in the previous step.
- Weave one ice pink ring up through the left hand and centre black ice rings. Add one closed black ice ring before closing the ice pink ring and position the black ice ring just added on the left hand side as shown.
- Repeat steps 1-8 to make a chain of equal length and position them side-by-side.
- Turn over the right hand chain so that the chains are a mirror image.
- Move both chains so that they meet to form a V-shape. You will notice that the direction of the ice pink and black ice rings is the same.
- From steps 12-16, the jump ring added is shown as gold for clarity. Check with the written instructions as to which colour ring you should be using.
Place one closed black ice ring between the lowest black ice rings of each chain.
- Weave one ice pink ring through the lowest right hand black ice ring, the centre closed black ice ring added in step 12, and the lowest left hand black ice ring. Close the ice pink ring - you will have linked three black ice rings with one ice pink ring. Reposition the chains on your workmat.
This is perhaps the most difficult ring to add as the rings have somehow moved after you have picked up the working piece to close the ring. Lay the left hand chain down and position the ring added in step 12 so that it overlays the lowest left hand black ice ring. You may have to turn the right hand chain in a full circle to orientate the lowest right hand chain into place.
- Weave one black ice ring through the ice pink ring added in step 13 and the ice pink rings on either side - you will have linked three ice pink rings with one black ice ring.
- Weave one ice pink ring through the black ice ring added in step 14 and the black ice rings on either side - you will have linked three black ice rings with one ice pink ring.
- Weave one black ice ring through the ice pink ring added in step 13 and the top ice pink rings on either side - you will have linked three ice pink rings with one black ice ring.
- Thread one bead onto a headpin and make a loop. Repeat so that you have nineteen beaded headpins.
- Open the loop of one beaded headpin and link it to the ring which makes the point of the V (this is the ring added in step 12). Working along the lower edge of rings, link the next beaded headpin to the fourth ring. Continue attaching beaded headpind to every fourth ring so that you have nine beaded headpins on each side of the centrepoint.
- At each end of the chain, open the loose outer rings and attach to the clasp. You may wish to remove the first black ice ring in the centre (optional).
Variations
- You can use a larger ring to make this necklace - ID 5mm, WD 1.2mm. The end result will be a more open weave than the ID 4mm, WD 1.2mm rings.
- Choose contrasting colours such as black (rings A) and silver (rings B) for a bold statement.
- Use one colour for rings A and change the colour of rings B, either alternating colours or creating blocks of colour.
If you found this tutorial helpful: Please let other users know, leave a rating.
©2021 Sarah Austin. All rights reserved.