Does any one have a pattern to make a collar using the 4 in 1
european chain? I tried making one but somehow the straight chain did
not lay right.
Thanks! Anne
Hi Anne,
I don’t have a pattern, but one way to reduce the size mail (which
is what I call if because I’m from an English background), is to drop
links.
To increase you add links.
Basically threading another link into your knitting wont hurt the
flow of the links.
It’s sort of like making a coif, but the reductions and increases
aren’t as great.
Regards Charles A.
No pattern, but a piece of advice. Think knitting. The process of
adding or subtracting links is almost exactly the same as adding or
subtracting stitches.
RC
It wouldn’t do. If it was a bracelet it would be fine, but for a
collar, the circle has to lay pretty much flat and a straight chain
won’t do that. I would think you’d need jump rings of different
sizes, smaller ones on the inside (nearest the neck), going to larger
rings at the outer edge.
Helen
UK
Hello, many maille sites… most of the tutorials are free or cost
little,. the ring lord comes to mind…’ if you have a question,
call anyone of the many ring vendors and I think
they would be happy to answer your questions… the chain maille
community is very big on sharing knowledge…
Thanks
Rosanne
Hi Helen,
They don’t have to be smaller links, adding and subtracting links
has been done for as long as mail (chain mail, maille) has existed.
The same sized links can be used to make a very comfortable collar.
Another way is to make triangles and join the edges of the
triangles. This does get bulky with tighter links, but looser links
work fine.
The use of smaller links will work too, but requires more work,
especially if you want a graduated link for each row of mail. That
definitely would look cool, but your work load would increase.
I wound 2000m of 2mm, around a 10mm steel mandrel… by hand… my
thumbs are very muscular these days (:-D) then I knitted the lot into
one garment. It came in at a hefty 12.7kg. I learned a few tricks to
knitting mail 
Regards Charles A.
Not sure where you’re having the problem, but
M.A.I.L. - Maille Artisans International League - Home Page can answer any questions you have,
if they haven’t already been answered onsite. A fantastic resource
for chainmaillers.
Blessings, Sam Kaffine
They don't have to be smaller links, adding and subtracting links has been done for as long as mail (chain mail, maille) has existed. The same sized links can be used to make a very comfortable collar.
Ah yes, I see Charles. That makes perfect sense. Thank you. The
principle remains the same though, that you can’t expect a straight
piece of mail to lienicely round the neck.
Your 12.7kg mail garment sounds interesting.
Helen
UK
Hi Helen,
Mail is a fabric, and it’s not a stretch fabric, it will have some
give, but it has its limits.
If you’re after a form fit, then you have to tailor it. Depending on
how you hang the mail (vertically or horizontally), will also
determine if the mail will compress or hold itself open.
I’ve done a quick trawl around the net for some images that
demonstrate.
Vertical : http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/10x
Horizontal : http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/10y
The vertically hung links can be compresses, whereas the
horizontally hung links fall open.
Here is a simple example of a choker, with links that are the same
size http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/10z
Here is an example of something a little more complex :-
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/110
If you do a search on “chain mail choker” you’ll see a lot of
examples.
Kindest regards Charles A.
P.S. 12.7kg of metal is no fun to wear, even with a belt taking half
the weight on your hips… it’s still a pain.
I can’t see the original question, but it looks like the question is
how to make four in one European chain maille lay flat around the
neck. It is done by using many sizes of rings and gauges.
To see a beautiful example, look at the urban maille website:
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/113
Aislyn developed this design with 10 different sizes. It is lovely.
I have made it many times.
darcy
four in one European chain maille lay flat around the neck. It is done by using many sizes of rings and gauges.
I agree Darcy, and said the same thing the other day, but was
corrected by another forum member who posted this link:
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/10z
I don’t think this image looks elegant at all. However, the link to
the website which you posted (http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/113),
has exactly the effect I THINK the OP was looking for, and it can
indeed only be achieved by using links of different sizes.
We all have different opinions though, and none of them are
necessarily right or wrong, it just depends what look you are going
for.
Helen
UK
Dear Charles,
Vertical : http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/10x Horizontal : http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/10y
I am aware of what chain mail looks like, so these links do not
demonstrate the issue at hand.
Here is a simple example of a choker, with links that are the same size http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/10z
Precisely, and look how badly it lays! The inner edge looks
terrible, and I’m sure is not what the original poster intended,
hence her question about straight mail not lying straight on the
neck. That image just demonstrates the problem she’s having.
I am with the poster today, who has the same opinion I do, ie that
you need to graduate your link sizes for that particular
application. I imagine it would look far more elegant than either
straight 4 in 1 mail chain, or using fewer links towards the neck
edge - but we’re all different.
Helen
UK
Vertical : http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/10x Horizontal :
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/10y
I am aware of what chain mail looks like, so these links do not demonstrate the issue at hand.
I was demonstrating the way mail bunches depending on how you hang
it. Maybe not for your benefit, but other people read the posts, and
if we get them thinking too, it’s all good 
Here is a simple example of a choker, with links that are the same
size http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/10z
Precisely, and look how badly it lays! The inner edge looks terrible, and I'm sure is not what the original poster intended, hence her question about straight mail not lying straight on the neck. That image just demonstrates the problem she's having.
That was a bad example, I was going for a simple examples to try to
show that it can be done. It was a quick trawl around the net.
Another simple example, but hopefully better looking
Still trying to keep it simple, here are a few more examples :-
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/11b
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/11c
The last two are good examples in that they show you what can be
done with the same sized link.
These sit flat for two reasons, the links are fairly open, and
they’re tailored to the wearer. Tailoring is more important, in that
you can fit and contour tight links. Mail is a fabric and can in
effect be treated as such.
I am with the poster today, who has the same opinion I do, ie that you need to graduate your link sizes for that particular application. I imagine it would look far more elegant than either straight 4 in 1 mail chain, or using fewer links towards the neck edge - but we're all different.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like the graduated link, but you can
achieve a lot with a standard sized link (and hopefully the examples
from the Maille Market help with my point). Tailoring makes all the
difference.
Aside from all of the above, personally my favorite mail is theta
mail.
Regards Charles A.