Dragonback weave
The dragonback is a decorative weave with a raised ridge running down the spine.
It works well for bracelets and collars.
The base is a strip of European four-in-one (E4-1).
Adding the side rings pulls the weave tighter, so the finished piece
comes out shorter than the strip you started with.
I usually leave a few units of plain E4-1 at each end,
which makes it easier to extend or connect the piece later.
A higher aspect ratio than plain E4-1 is needed,
because more rings have to share the same opening.
The example below uses a ratio of 5.3, which is close to the minimum.
Some tutorials can be found at:
Mailleartisans - Images
Weave - cgi
Middle rings are displayed in bronze.
Outer rings are displayed in silver.
Put four closed rings onto one open ring.
Close the open ring to make one four-in-one unit.
Lay the four-in-one unit flat onto the ground.
Add one open ring.
Make sure that all middle rings point in one direction.
The outer rings point in the opposite direction.
Add two outside rings.
Close the open middle ring.
Every middle ring goes through four outer rings.
Every outer ring goes through two middle rings.
Repeat the previous two steps.
- Add one open middle ring.
- Add two closed outer rings.
- Close the middle ring.
Take four outside rings, two from each side (highlighted).
Add a top-middle ring throught the outside rings.
This makes a second layer of 4-1.
Please note that the middle rings on the top and bottom layer point in opposite direction.
Check the rings from the side.
Later
Add a top ring to every 4-1 unit until you reach the end.
Later
Weave - pictures
giving an aspect ratio of 5.3.
102 cm of E4-1 made a 72 cm dragonback.
Start with a strip of E4-1, about 40% longer than you want the finished piece to be.
Push the rings slightly together until they overlap.
Add a ring along the outside.
It passes through two rings on the left and one ring on the right.
Add the next ring along the same edge.
It sits outside the previous one, following the same path.
Keep going along that edge until you are almost at the end.
Leaving a few units of plain E4-1 on both ends makes it easier to extend later.
Mirror the same row of rings along the other edge.
Measure the length and extend the strip if needed.
The side rings pulls the weave together.
Measure again the length, it will not shrink further.
Optional: close the strip into a loop for a bracelet or collar.
Add the first top ring.
It passes through two outside rings on the left and two on the right.
It points in the opposite direction to the middle rings underneath.
Add a top ring to every 4-1 unit along the strip.
It is easy to miss one of the four outside rings.
Check if all rings sit at the same angle and barely move.