European 4-in-1 is the quintessential, basic, prolific, and most easily recognizable weave in chainmaille. It is the weave we immediately think of when someone talks about chainmaille. It is the weave most commonly used and seen in almost every application, and it is the first weave that is learned by just about every mailler. In this post, I'll give you a bit of information about this weave and some of the projects I've completed using it.
This was my very first project, a simple patch of European 4-in-1
Acronym Guide
- E4-1 - European 4-in-1 weave
- Euro 4-1 - European 4-in-1 weave
- AA - anodized aluminum
- swg - standard wire gauge
- AR - Aspect Ratio
The "4-in-1" refers to 4 rings being connected to one central ring, and there are variations on this weave which denotes the number of rings which are connected to one another. This notation is used in a variety of other weaves, both sheet and chain weaves, and includes European 6-in-1(also known as King's Maille), Half Persian 4-in-1, European 12-in-1(also known as Emperor's Maille), etc.
Because Euro 4-1 is so commonly used, there are several techniques and variations on how it can be made. The most efficient techniques are referred to as "speed weaving". There is a great deal of contention among chainmaillers as to which technique is the fastest or the most efficient, and it is generally left to the individual mailler to decide which technique they like best. I personally find that this technique works best for me, and is a great deal easier to understand and work with than any other tutorial I have found.
Projects
There are a couple of things to note when starting any weaving project, especially when working from a tutorial. The first relates to dimensions.
This is the first patch for my hacky-sack project, it uses 18swg 3/16" AA rings
When starting projects with rectangular patches, note how the edges are being counted. If we are to look just at the outermost rings on this patch, it would be a 4x24 rectangle. but if we count by the inner rings (the rings with 4 rings looped though it) it becomes a 3x23 rectangle. Most tutorials and guides will go by outermost rings, but there are a few which use the inner rings. There are times when one is more appropriate than another, but either way it is important to make sure you are counting the right rings when you start on a major project.
The other major concern about any project is, of course, the Aspect Ratio (AR). The all important AR dictates not only if a weave is possible to complete, but also other important traits of the finished product such as the stiffness of the weave. In the case of things like inlays( more about these in a future post) AR will dictate how clear the image woven into the maille can be seen. The Effect of AR on this particular project is only really noticeable at the very end.
Continuing with the hacky-sack project, I added 6 triangles to each side of the 4x24 patch. This is actually my second hacky-sack, and the reason I used my more colorful rings for this project was twofold: Firstly, using colored rings makes it vastly easier to see where rings need to be added to close the weave into a sphere, something which was nightmarish on my other hacky sack; secondly, I didn't want to waste too many of a single ring color on this project, so varying the colors spread out the damage to my collection.
The completed 18swg 3/16" and 16swg 5/16" hacky-sacks
In the final stages of both these projects, the bent-nose pliers proved to be invaluable. The ability to manipulate the rings within a tight and complicated weave was much appreciated towards the end of the projects, where it became very difficult to see what need to be placed where and how.
The smaller sack is filled with plastic beads while the larger is stuffed with cloth scraps
It was only at the very end of the project that AR really became an issue, and the difference was not very significant. Both were relatively easy to make and to manipulate, even in the later stages of completion. The only real difference is the final ring meant to be woven through the last 6 rings(the tops of the triangles). On the 16swg 5/16" ball, there was plenty of room to add the final ring, but on the 18swg 3/16" ball, the last ring was a very tight fit. I eventually removed it because it was warping the ball into more of an egg-shape.
The finished end of the 18swg 3/16" was more than tight enough to contain the beads.
...
Right, moving on.
The finished products are very neat, even if I suck at all things hacky-sack. I have to constantly resist the urge to throw them at my cat.
Euro 4-1 will most definitely be making repeat appearances in my future projects, so look forward to seeing all the crazy stuff that it is capable of.
Also: I have extended the closing date of the poll about a weaving tutorial on the right sidebar. Remember, you can select multiple options. :P
Happy Mailling!
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