It’s a Small World After All

I was at MAGfest right before I left on vacation. It was a gaming convention that had board games, arcade games, MMORPGs, RPGs, various panels, and a dealer’s room. There were some chain mailers there and I was able to talk shop with them. I had actually met them before at Shore Leave, a sci-fi con in Baltimore County last summer.

I got some really good insight as to what size to use when I want to start on the Byzantine weave. I’m mostly using 18 ¼ gauge jump ring nows (18 = wire, ¼ = ring diameter) which are too large for a single Byzantine. They had lovely double Byzantine bracelets and necklaces but I thought it best to start on single before I figure out double. The size they used for single was 18 ³/₁₆ which resulted in a lovely but dainty bracelet. The same goes for necklaces. To interest men, 18 ¼ is large enough to appeal without making them look like hippity hop wannabes.

I got a choker made of rosettes when I first met them and hope to recreate it in different colors at some point. The way they connect the rings helps the piece lay flat. He said the rounder weaves work well as chains but flat weaves work as chokers. Spiral is a round weave and a Half Persian is a flat weave. I’ll probably try a Half Persian in the next few weeks.

While I was there I was wearing a spiral necklace I’d just finished. When you first make it, it looks just like a pretty chain but if you twist it you get this: 

The mailer said that the only difficulty with spiral is its tendency to un-spiral. If you twist it and hook it, it looks very pretty and will stay put. However, you want it to sit close to your throat because of its tendency to bunch when it has too much slack. I’d imagine it would work well as a really long necklace but I’d have to try it out.

Funny story was that they had some earrings in simple weaves but in great colors. I called one pair in blue, pink, and yellow ‘birthday cake’ colors. Apparently I spent enough money last summer to get free earrings but I left them at their booth. They looked for me and didn’t see me again. Those were my earrings and my saying that made the remember me. It took a few months but they let me have my earrings. I like these folks.

Listening To: Wreck-It, Wreck-It Ralph by Buckner & Garcia