November 26, 2014

Broomstick Lace Scarf - My 4th :-)

Have I mentioned I want to learn to knit and crochet?  Well, winter is usually a good time to pick them up :-)

Here's what I learned last month while surfing the net.  Broomstick Lace crochet.


So light and airy!  And the opening loops remind me of chainmaille Mobius weave.  Wondering if there's a way to combine the two....  ??  That'd be some very interesting texture, huh?  :-)

...,.

November 23, 2014

Pet Dragon Key Chain - in Purple and Black


Took me quite a while to get this new baby ready for its new home :-)


 Sporting beautiful violet purple and black, mixed with indigo and silver, this is a most handsome fella I've ever seen ;-)


Snuggling in my hand, the little dragon takes a nap before getting on its homeward trip!

Oh, how I'll miss you........


Specs update

Since my first chainmaille dragon, I've gone thru many, many ounces of stainless steel jump rings, from several different vendors, over quite a few orders.  Interestingly, the jump rings from the same vendor under the same material code comes out slightly different in size!  This is the one aspect that baffles plenty beginning maillers :-(

Of course, these jump rings are handmade too!  Sure, they mostly are made with some kind of machines/tools.  But the winding and cutting are still all made in individual batches.  All of these result in variations in the end.

What's more, my techniques in closing the rings, different pliers, modified construction steps, all of these factors add to very interesting results.

The original specs list 3 sizes of rings: 1/8", 5/32", and 3/16".  Boy, that was a tough one, with 3/16" stainless steel rings in some very tight spots... oy!

I now switched out some 3/16" with 13/64" on half of the HP3in1, plus a couple of 1/4" for sideburns.  And the tail gets 4 sizes of rings for a more gradual slim-down.  As for the neck connection, I skip a couple of rings so the head can move more freely.  Well, who knows what I'll come up with next time....  It's this never-ending process that makes chainmaille so fascinating, and addictive ;-)


For a sneak peek of the listing for this handsome dude, please visit my online studio DaisyKreates.  Interested in having a brand new dragon made just for you, please visit this listing.