How to make a Coif

[Starbuck]

I wanted to try my hand at making a coif, so I looked on Utube and found this video …

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. I’ve completed the crown and the initial 54 rings around the crown. I understand that it’s necessary to expand the crown until it fits your head. I also understand you expand by adding a ring between two existing rings. My question is, do I add these additional rings all the way around or just occasionally on each row around the crown until it fits my head?

 

[chainmaillers.com]

If I'm understanding your question correctly, you only need to add as many as are necessary to expand the next row to the size that you need. I would space any expansion rings out so that they are placed symmetrically. In other words, if you add to the left side, add one in the same place on the right side. You can also add to the midpoint at the back. You would then expand further from those rings if more expansion is needed.

There's also this great tutorial from Phong about expansions that you should check out:

CGI Tutorial - Euro 4-1 Expansion

Author's Note I wanted to contribute my tutorials to Chainmaillers.com to help ensure that the entire chainmaille community has access to them. The tutorials are presented here with the same images and text from my old site CGMaille. I hope they...

chainmaillers.com

Hope that helps

 

[foodini]

When I did a coif for the first time, I had no idea what I was doing, but my method worked out very, very well. I started by making a long strap of chain, 5 rows wide. This served as a measuring device. Whenever I was about to start a row, I'd place the circle of maille I had - so far - on my head. I'd then lay the strap around the perimeter of the existing circle to measure how many rings the next row would need. The difference between that number and the number of rings in the previous row would be the number of rings I needed to add to the previous row to expand.

For example, If the last circle had 30 rings in it and the strap measured 36 rings, I'd add 6 rings to the last row I'd already completed. I'd then add the next row of 36 to the expanded previous row. As you're doing this, you'll notice that there are spots in your pattern that hang lower than a neat horizontal circle would dictate. Make sure to make your expansions elsewhere. It will mean that, occasionally you'll have lots of rings between expansions and few between some others, but if you keep this up, by the time you get to the middle of your forehead, you should have a neat line, right about where a baseball cap would hit you (assuming the cap is perfectly level.)

This won't work, of course, unless your first ring is equidistant between the points where a baseball cap would meet the center of your forehead and the center of the back of your head, because you'll have the same number of rows between these points.

Don't be afraid to work backward and change things. If part of your pattern is sagging, delete an expansion above it. It's tricky work, and you'll screw it up plenty of times, but it's critical to be fearless about it, or you'll be unhappy with the final product.

 

[moaatt]

Good afternoon, I have been following the tutorial in the video to make a coif and I have gotten a little stuck. When joining my first two triangles I got the result in the attached image which does not look correct. I was wondering if I joined the triangles incorrectly or if perhaps my rings(16 SWG 1/4" ID ~ 4.0) are too small. I would appreciate any help or advice.

 

[chainmaillers.com]

I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but I think this is an error in the way you joined the triangles. Let me see if I can render something.

 

[chainmaillers.com]

These are smaller patches, but I'm pretty sure you want them like this:

Then basically, you're just going to point them inward while retaining the same orientation:

Attach the innermost red rings (from adjacent triangles):

Attach the innermost Blue rings (from adjacent triangles) AND the previous purple ring:

Repeat

 

[moaatt]

I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but I think this is an error in the way you joined the triangles. Let me see if I can render something.

Thank you for your input. I'm going to take what I have apart and try joining again but more carefully this time.

 

[chainmaillers.com]

Thank you for your input. I'm going to take what I have apart and try joining again but more carefully this time.

Just an additional note, once there's a purple ring available, you are always connecting the next purple ring to that as well, so after the first two red only, it's 2 color rings AND the previous purple.

 

[moaatt]

Just an additional note, once there's a purple ring available, you are always connecting the next purple ring to that as well, so after the first two red only, it's 2 color rings AND the previous purple.

Thank you. I have followed that and gotten much further. Now I just need to transition from a hexagon to more circular while going down.

 

[Karpeth]

Just an additional note, once there's a purple ring available, you are always connecting the next purple ring to that as well, so after the first two red only, it's 2 color rings AND the previous purple.

While this will produce a nice, working, result - Once you really understand what you are doing, you can space and move the expansions for a more non-seam look.

 

[moaatt]

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While this will produce a nice, working, result - Once you really understand what you are doing, you can space and move the expansions for a more non-seam look.

Thank you for the advice I may try that in the future.

 

[moaatt]

Also, when reconnecting below the chin do you make it the same length as above? I tried that and I find that it sags or do I just need to make it longer?

Additionally to make it flare out below the neck, how long should it go for and how often should I put in expansion rings there(if I should)?