http://www.willadsenfamily.org/sca/danr_as/woven-arm-ring/woven-arm-ring.

htm

Trichinopoly: Viking Wire Work

OR How to make a chain.
By: Lady Raghnailt of Templemede

Fall Harvest 2010

 Trichinopoly Class Lady Raghnailt 2

A Danish textile find with Trichinopoly

woven into the cuff. It is a man’s
Kaftan found in the National Museum
of Denmark. (Willadsen, 2006)

A close up of the wire work

http://www.willadsenfamily.org/sca/danr_as/woven-arm-ring/woven-arm-ring.htm

Step one: Wrap a contrasting wire

around a ruler or other card. I prefer
credit card size due to the size of my
drawplate. Wrap at least 3 complete
loops but not more than 6. This will
be your beginning bundle.
 Trichinopoly Class Lady Raghnailt 3

Step 2: Wrap the ends of the bundle

around the end of the loops. Make
sure you have the correct end and
your “petals” are all the same length.
This is your starting bundle. Adjust it
so it is all the same length and the
petals are the same distance point to
point.

Step 3: Wrap a short length (12 – 18”)

to the start up bundle.
 Trichinopoly Class Lady Raghnailt 4

Step 4: Start your first stitch. Make a

loop through the first two petals of
your starting bundle. Don’t worry if
this is not a perfect “e” shape. The
first few rows can be lopsided and
strange looking. In all likelihood, the
first inch will be cut off anyway.

Step 5: Make the next stitch through

the 2nd and 1st petals. Yes that’s
backward a little. You are making
small loops that will repeat around
the chain you are making. Keep going
around until you get back to the
beginning.

Variation on a stitch: You can, if you

choose, do single stitches like the one
you started with. However, double
stitches make a chain denser, more
even and, in my humble opinion,
prettier. To do this, count the
“ladders” (a Mistress Dulcinea term).
Go up 2 ladders and insert the
working wire under the crossed wires
Ladders
at that point. Continue to count up 2
for the rest of the chain. You can also
do treble/triple stitch by counting up
3. I wouldn’t recommend more due
to difficulty with the drawplate.
Trichinopoly Class Lady Raghnailt 5

When you need to add a new wire:

There are a couple of ways to do this.
I prefer to leave a ¼” tail UNDER the
rest of the work. You can also cut it
off like this picture or you can leave
the tail just UNDER the ladder but this
makes it more bulky when you draw
it. Cutting it off right AT the wire
below it can cause the chain to break
while drawing.

When adding your new wire, only go

ONE ladder, not two. This will
eliminate the extra bulk during
drawing. You will need to hold the
new wire with your fingers as you go
around once or twice. Once your new
wire is established, continue as
before until you are done or need to
add new wire. Make the work longer
than you need because you can’t add
more after it’s been pulled.

Here’s where the magic happens. Pull

your work, by its starting bundle,
through the largest hole it will fit. Pull
your work through successively
smaller holes until it is as long as you
want it and/or as dense as you want.
If you’re planning on putting a wire or
cord through the middle of this, it
needs to go in now.
 Trichinopoly Class Lady Raghnailt 6

Finishing Your Work: After drawing,

you might want to put some kind of
cone or bead on the end to make
them look nice. Open up a space for a
slightly larger wire with a tapestry
needle or pick.

Insert your wire and bend it up to

then, leaving a long enough length on
the other end to make a loop for
findings.

Put the cone over the wire and the

end of your work. Form your loop
over your pliers, needle or pick and
wrap the wire at least one full turn as
close to the cone as possible. You are
now ready for whatever findings you
choose.

Pictures from “Great Wire Jewelry” pgs 8-14.

 Trichinopoly Class Lady Raghnailt 7

Bibliography

http://www.willadsenfamily.org/sca/danr_as/woven-arm-ring/woven-arm-ring.htm Willadsen, Don.

10th Century Danish Woven Wire Arm Ring. September 2001.

http://www.jewelryhistorian.com/sca/articles/trichinopoly_documentation.pdf 19 Page article

Authored By: Lady Apollonia Voss m.k.a. Lora Lynn Stevens, Illustrated By: Lady Þhora “Amber”
Ottersdötter, m.k.a. Maggie Ahrens

http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=693 Atlantia’s links for chain

making.

Peterson, I.F., (1998), Great Wire Jewelry: Projects and Techniques, Lark Books, New York. P7-14.