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Chains
Many
years ago, when I first started selling my work, I began describing
it as "completely handwrought," but then one day
I looked at the typical, commercial, machine made chains I'd
bought for my pendants and realized I was not being true to
my vision. These handwrought chains are labors of love, my
meditations in action, but well worth all the effort.
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Ancient
Mediterranean Chain Patterns
The
first chains I learned to make are often called Roman, loop
in loop or foxtail chains, although ancient Egyptians, Sumerians
and Etruscans made loop in loop chains first, to be followed
by the Greeks. For some unknown reason, the Romans got credit.
In these ancient methods, each individual link is fused
and formed from fine silver (99.9% pure silver) or 22K gold
and then woven together. A bracelet of the most basic pattern
may have as few as 25 links, a complex necklace as many
as 900. Pictured below are the patterns I use most often.
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| 1-Direction
Single-Weave |
1-Direction
Double-Weave |
2-Directional
Double-Weave |
3-Directional
Single-Weave |
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Original
Chain Patterns, Including Cross Link, Vertebrate, Undulating
Mesh, and Side Weave Mesh Patterns
Back
in 1997, I began experimenting with my own chain patterns.
I've created several, but my most favorite are the Vertebrate
and the Side Weave Mesh. Both were inspired by the traditional
Roman Side Weave. I wanted to create the look of that pattern
in a more three dimensional and mesh (think chain maille)
designs. The Vertebrate pattern is formed without the use
of any hand tools. The individual links look like larks head
knots, and when woven together, create a raised braid on the
top. I gave the pattern it's name because the back reminds
me of inside shape of a spine. In creating the side weave
mesh, I was trying to design a wide braid pattern, which seemed
unsuccessful at first until I turned it over and found that
what I intended to be the back was far more interesting. |
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| Vertebrate |
Undulating
Mesh |
Side
Weave Mesh |
Cross
Link |
Woven
(Crochet) Chains
These
chains differ completely from the others in that they are
woven from a continuous wire. They are sometimes called
crochet chains but are actually knitted tubes. Around the
time I first learned to do them, my mother had given me
some tiny freshwater pearls. With no desire to set or string
them, I got the idea to incorporate them into the body of
the woven chains. I weave each loop and add each pearl (or
occasionally gem bead) one at a time to create spiral patterns.
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| Silver
Woven Chain (detail) |
Gold
Woven Chain (detail) |
Woven
Necklace, Bracelet, & Earrings |
Woven
Pearl Necklace |
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