This past week I started working on the story projects for the February 2008 issue of Bead&Button. I was especially looking forward to making a copy of a chain mail bracelet because it did not involve stitching beads. It’s something different, and, to paraphrase Martha Stewart, “That’s a good thing.”

Including a variety of projects in your beading routine can be a very good thing. It’s an artistically good idea to take a break from your usual beads-of-choice and stretch your beading skills to learn a new technique. My favorite change-of-routine project is chain mail. Chain mail is three-dimensional and requires your brain to “see” a project in a different form. Chain mail involves metal jump rings that need to be opened and closed and positioned in specific places in the chain pattern. Chain mail makes you use different muscle groups in your hands and arms.

It always takes my brain about 15 minutes to shift into chain mail mode. When I took my first chain mail class from Anne Mitchell, she assured the class that even though we might experience an initial frustration at not understanding what she was showing us, we would eventually reach an “aha” moment and everything would make sense. And she was right.

I think it’s important to approach the process of learning new techniques with the same attitude. Don’t let an initial frustration stop you from reaching an understanding of a process you’ve never tried. If you’ve never worked in chain mail, I hope you’ll attempt a project. It’s just the thing to add some variety to your beading.

Happy chain-mailing,

Lynne