Complicated?

Complicated?

 

We often watch "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" while we eat lunch. Well, really almost everyday. Today one of the questions was very interesting. Paraphrased  -

 

 

Given these choices,  which one means "Complicated"

 

1) Macedonian, 2) Assyrian, 3) Byzantine, or 4) Caledonian ?

 

I suppose because I'm the one asking, the answer is easy.

It is 3) Byzantine.

 

I checked with a dictionary and found, though it was the 3rd meaning:

 

Byzantine - highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious... complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts;

 

Byzantine is one of my favorite patterns of Chain Maille. It looks complicated but it really isn't (when you know how). I have a book that has lots of variations of Byzantine and I was asked to teach one of them. It is called "Side Knot Design" by Scott David Plumlee.

 

 

 

 

So, I ordered the appropriate rings and started to make a bracelet. New designs usually present a problem getting started but this one ... The easy part was the Byzantine sections. The complicated part was the Side Knot. Byzantine, indeed!

 

I even asked for help from by buddy Scott at pflora beads. It was just trying to understand the instructions while holding what I had put together already without the rungs falling out of order or dropping rings etc. Many times just another pair of eyes helps and it did.

 

Now, I understand and it is not as Byzantine as it seemed in the beginning.

 

Here is a close up picture of the Side Knot.

 

 

 

All of which proves how hard it is to get a good picture of shiny silver rings. The paper clips are just aids to keep the pattern together until more rings can be added. It does lend a bit of size comparison though.

 

 

The finished bracelet really looks nice.

 

 

 

 

 

What do you think of the new design? I think I should add it to my website. This one is made with Argentium sterling Silver (as I usually do - for tarnish resistance)

Bev

 

Byzantine Chain Maille Variations Part II

Yesterday, I showed two variations of plain Byzantine: Byzantine Rose and Romanov.

The first variation today is Olivia. It is very similar to the Romanov pattern because they both start with two segments of Byzantine. It is how they are put together that makes the difference.

Instead of putting the segments in a vertical position and joining them at the top, the segments are put in a horizontal position and joined on a side. The segments look like you are pulling the "legs" apart. At least that is the way it looks to me.






The second one today is called a Byzantine Ladder pattern. Again, it takes two Byzantine segments and joins them in a different way from either Romanov, Olivia or Byzantine Rose.

This is very similar to the Romanov pattern except the way the Byzantine segments are joined. The are joined in a "ladder" fashion. Small joining rings - across the segments and in line. It is easier to see in the picture than it is to say how to do it. ;-)

OK, you've seen 4 diferent variation over the last two days.

Which pattern is your favorite? Byzantine Rose, Romanov,Olivia or Byzantine Ladder?

B

Byzantine Chain Maille variations Part I

There are so many variations of the basic Byzantine pattern, it is hard to think of them all.

I teach a Byzantine class at my local bead store, Beadcache in Mansfield, MA (http://www.beadcache.com/) When you are teaching the basic pattern, it is hard to know how far to go with so many possibilities. Usually, I give them a choice to make a bracelet that is all Byzantine or one generally called Byzantine Rose. Well, as you might guess, Byzantine Rose wins hands down.






The Byzantine Rose pattern includes a "rose" that is simply 3 rings each inside the other. Fancy name is : Mobius ball. You make several segments of Byzantine and attach the segments with "roses" in between each segment. "Ta - Da", an interesting beautiful bracelet.



I must interject to tell you that you will see almost any Chain Maille pattern by more than one name. Byzantine, for example, is also called Bird Cage and Queen's Maille. Now back to your regularly scheduled program.


One of the favorite Byzantine variation patterns is Romanov. Personally, I think it is so popular because you can add beads - or not. This is made by making several segments of Byzantine and connecting two of them with a larger ring at the top. A bead can be added in the center. (Cobalt is always a winner too)





I'll have a few more variations for tomorrow. Until then,


B

Romanov Chain Maille

Awhile ago I mentioned that one of the reasons I liked the Byzantine pattern of Chain Maille was that it was so versatile and you could make many different patterns from the basic Byzantine segment.

Well, here is another example. (The one I showed was Olivia - on Nov 7) By just joining the segments in a different way you can come up with the one shown here. It is usually called the Romanov pattern.

To make it a little more fancy, I added Hematite beads in the center.

Many other variations exist. I have one with cobalt beads and one made with different size rings and on it goes.

Which do you prefer the Olivia or Romanov?

B

Chain Maille - Olivia

One of my favorite Chain Maille patterns is Byzantine. Not only is it beautiful on its own but it can be adapted in many ways.

You can change the gauge (thickness of the wire used to make the rings) and you can change the order of the segments. This is one of those changes called "Olivia" The segments are lined up parallel to each other and then connected at the end of the segments. This picture shows the Olivia pattern in 18 gauge.

The next picture shows the same pattern in 16 gauge. (The smaller number gauge is thicker. ie 16 gauge is thicker or bigger than 18 gauge.) I realize it is hard to tell in the picture but there is a big difference. The 18 gauge bracelet is much more delicate and narrower than the 16 gauge. Some day I'll try the pattern in 20 gauge. It should be even more delicate and narrower.

The next picture is a regular Byzantine pattern bracelet (with a dicroic rectangle as focal) Just so you can see what it looks like (in case you haven't seen the pattern before - or in case you call it something else; a common problem with naming Chain Maille. Byzantine is also called Bird Cage, for example)

I'll show some other Byzantine variations in future posts.

B