Dark Elf
Overview
While searching for new weaves, I found Dark Elf (or Elven Rope), submitted to M.A.I.L. by Weremole the Mailler. This Elfweave variant belongs to the European, Mage, and Mobius weave families. To follow along, I recommend this tutorial by ~Tamal.
Materials
For the sample piece showcased in this post, I made the rings myself. I used 16 SWG Bright Aluminum wire from The Ring Lord coiled around an 8mm mandrel (for an approximate ID of 8mm) for an AR of 4.9.
Notes
The Dark Elf weave is fairly simple to understand and also easy to make. However, you need to pay attention while constructing it, since it’s easy to accidentally flip the direction of one of the rings in the 2-in-1 Chain or miss a connection when adding a ring to the chain. I find that the weave looks quite messy when flat and only slightly less so when vertical, as the rings in the 2-in-1 chain don’t stay locked together. The messiness may partly be due to using rings larger than recommended, and I suspect that smaller rings would hold their position better. While Dark Elf is a chain weave with a fairly flat side that could work in bracelets, chokers, or strapping, the flat side is actually the profile view, not the top view. This means it may be better suited for free-hanging applications such as earrings, unless you specifically like the profile look. When making the weave, I found it helpful to flip it so that the flat ring I was adding was always on top of the last flat ring. Overall, while Dark Elf is moderately easy to learn and create, its relatively low aesthetic appeal and limited use cases make it worth attempting mainly if the look personally appeals to you.
Pictures
Flat
Flat: Angled
Flat: Profile
Vertical
Vertical: Profile
In Process
