Last year I began my foray into the world of off-loom beading and simple jewelry making. In digging around the Web, I've become exposed to all kinds of wonderful beading sites. And as with many hobby sites, lots of free patterns. I found a very interesting pattern on the Bead & Button magazine website for a Tryzantine chain bracelet made primarily of silver jump rings. The photograph was gorgeous and pulled me in. I just had to give it a try. Now, being so new to this, I didn't want to go to the expense of the real silver rings. Instead, I purchased some standard 6mm metal jump rings in a package from my local Michael's Arts and Crafts. Then I sat down to the task of learning to make a chain. I attempted the pattern as written three times. But I kept getting tripped up on Step 7. Even with the excellent close-up photography and the stated directions, I just couldn't understand how to do this step. I finally gave up trying to make the bracelet exactly as stated. Instead, I used the pattern as a jumping off point to make my own version of this bracelet. What I came up with was much simpler, but still was not too plain. The finished piece is aesthetically pleasing to me. The bracelet feels really good on my wrist. It has a very nice way of rolling up and down my arm and I like the way the large links catch the light. It's encouraging to continue to learn new techniques and not be afraid to try something on my own when the original pattern proved to be too difficult for my neophyte experience. Created March 18, 2005