Chainmaille: The Most Versatile Weave?

I consider the Japanese weave, be it 12 in 2 or 6 in 1, to be the most versatile of the chainmaille weaves. It is a weave that you can manipulate to create any shape you want, and by simply varying the number or the size of the rings you use you can give it totally new looks. Yes, you could argue that there are many Japanese weaves, or at least that there are many variations, which essentially there are, however, the main principle remains the same, two different sizes of rings connected together in a simple flat style of connection.

One of the most popular ways to use the Japanese weave is to create flowers, one central pair of rings, surrounded by 6 other pairs of rings, all connected together with smaller pairs of rings. Just about any link can then be used to connect the flowers into a chain - in this case I have used links of Strawberry Quartz (glass) and Swarovski crystals.


Triple Diamond Back is an example of how the basic principle of the Japanese weave have been used to create a new look, This is a really lacy, almost filigree looking type weave, where the directions of the connections and number of connecting rings seem to keep changing, although I can assure you, there is still a pattern.


My bronze Diamond weave bracelet is a good example of where I played around with the rings until I managed to get the large diamond shape that I was looking for.


At the end of the day - I just love the fact that you can manipulate this weave to achieve practically any shape you want!