Byzantine Cross

Here it is, in all its finished glory!

This cross is by far the most complicated chainmaille project I have ever done-- especially because I had absolutely no instructions. I'd seen someone on Etsy make a chainmaille cross, but it was in a Persian weave, which I have not yet learned. So I winged it!

I got the jumprings from UnkamenGifts-- the colors are spectacular. As soon as I opened the bag, I knew that I had to make something in a rainbow fade...

I'm calling this the Byzantine Cross because, not only is it made in a Byzantine weave, but because the colors are typical of the artwork of the Church's Byzantine rite.

First try

The first attempt turned out rather well, except for one problem:

FLOPPINESS!

(Note how small the cross is-- it is just over two thumbnails in length. )

So I pulled apart the connecting rings and experimented with various sizes and numbers of rings.

Pulling it apart

Putting it back together.

The back of the revised edition.

I wound up using a brown mobius (3 interlocked rings) in the center and small green rings for structure. 

The bottom part was still floppy-- I couldn't get the three supporting rings in the middle of the weave--, so I attached an eyepin to the back. (It's bent in this picture, oops!)

Here it is-- the product of several hours of experimentation! It's quite sturdy now, don'tcha think?

It's hard to believe that I first heard of chainmaille jewelry this summer! I love it so, sooo much. ^_^