Creating the Chain

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Creating the Chain-Link

The Chain-Link isn't actually a stitch, but a project made up of numerous existing stitches. The one I'll show you how to make here uses the SuperBrick and Square stitches; however, you could use the Circle stitch in place of the Square, or drop a strand completely and make it using Brick and Triangle. To create what is shown here, you'll need FOUR strands of boondoggle, two that are 4-feet long, and two that are 5-feet long. This one creates a 4-link chain. To add additional links, add a foot to both of the measurements. The length of your shortest strands equals the number of links you'll be able to make. The Chain-Link shown is almost 4 and a half inches long (minus the tassels).

	My two short (4-foot) strands are Lilac and Grape (Neon Purple), while my two long (5-foot) strands will both be Apple Green. Remember, using 4-foot short strands, I'll be able to make a 4-link chain.
	After Finding The Centers of all four strands, lay them this way, insuring that your second long strand becomes the MIDDLE strand of your SuperBrick. Start the Chain-Link by making a SuperBrick stitch...
	After completing the Starter SuperBrick stitch...
	Complete THREE MORE SuperBrick stitches, so it looks like this...
	Now comes the interesting part! hehe. Hold your work this way and look at how I have the strands. Note how I've grouped them into two groups of four strands, one at the top (Apple Green, both Grapes, and the UPPER most central Apple Green strand), and one at the bottom (the LOWER most central Apple Green, both Lilac strands, and the other Apple Green strand).
	Forgetting about the lower group for a second, we need to create a Square Stitch out of the upper four strands. Start by making a loop out of the central Apple Green strand. Note how I'm going OVER the Grape strand, so that the loop can sit NEXT TO the other Apple Green strand...
	Now make your second loop out of the other Apple Green strand. Make sure both loops sit NEXT TO each other, and that they do NOT cross over the underlying stitch, unless you want to make a Circle Stitch instead.
	Now take the Grape strand on your LEFT and go OVER the nearest Apple Green strand, and then UNDER the other Apple Green strand, so that it lies ABOVE the Grape strand on your right...
	...like this...
	Take the Grape strand on the RIGHT that you haven't yet used and go OVER the nearest Apple Green strand, then UNDER the farthest Apple Green strand...
	...and pull through, like this.
	Pull the four strands tight, and we have our FIRST completed Square Stitch.
	After turning the work around, note how the one Apple Green strand needs to be bent out of the way, before we can make the SECOND Square stitch that is needed.
	Again, starting with the central Apple Green strand...
	...create a loop OVER the nearest Lilac strand, so that it sits NEXT TO the other Apple Green strand, like this.
	Create a second loop from the other Apple Green strand, so we can start the weave of the second Square stitch...
	...after weaving the left Lilac strand (OVER the first and UNDER the second Apple Green strands)...
	...and finishing by weaving the right Lilac strand in the same way.
	After pulling the strands tight, we can now see how we've CONVERTED the SuperBrick into TWO Square stitches. What you must now do is FIFTEEN (15) stitches of Square on EACH SIDE of the work...
If you're well versed at doing boondoggle, I'd highly suggest you use the ALTERNATE METHOD for doing the Square Stitch when working on this project. I have found that this GREATLY DECREASES the amount of time it will take you to complete this project.
	Here's what mine looked like after I thought I had completed 15 stitches on each side...
	...but when I held the work up end-for-end, I noticed something wrong. When you place both Square stitches together, see how the inner Apple Green strands BOTH exit from the TOP of the stitch? This is WRONG. One of the two Square pieces either only has 14 stitches, or one has 16 stitches. Upon further inspection, I discovered that my Grape side only had 14 stitches, so I added one more Square stitch to that side...
	...and when I then put the two Squares together, I got what I was looking for, one central strand exiting from the TOP and the other from the BOTTOM. We now need to RECOMBINE these two Square stitches into a SuperBrick stitch again!
	In order to do this, the two central Apple Green strands must become SIDEWAYS strands again, so we bend them to join their Grape and Lilac brothers and sisters, like this...
	Using the left and right Apple Green strands, we make our two needed loops...
	...and then start weaving the sideways strands through the loop. First the Grape strands...
	...and then the two central Apple Green strands. Be careful here, though, as you don't want to twist the strands, just let them bend into the stitch...
	...and finish the weave by sending the two Lilac strands through.
	Now we need to pull the stitch snug; NOT TIGHT! Remember that there isn't anything BELOW the Apple Green stitches in the middle, so don't pull the stitch so tight that you can't see one or more of your sideways strands.
	To give it a bit of strength, do ONE MORE SuperBrick stitch and pull it tight!
We left off in Part 1 doing this step...
	To give it a bit of strength, do ONE MORE SuperBrick stitch and pull it tight!
Now, let's continue with the Chain-Link...
	Now for the MAGIC STITCH, the one that flips the next link sideways! Start by turning the work sideways...
	We're going to create another SuperBrick stitch, but one that is 90 degrees off the last two we did. Forget about the Lilac and Grape strands, while you start with two loops made from the CENTRAL Apple Green strands.
	We are going to use the Lilac and Grape strands as sideways strands now. I started with the Lilac strand on the upper-left of this shot, going OVER the first and UNDER the second Apple Green loops. Next, I took the Grape strand on the upper-right and went OVER the first and UNDER the second Apple Green loop, like this shot shows...
	We now take the two Apple Green strands and weave them through. First, the one on the LEFT, then the one on the RIGHT.
	Finish the stitch by weaving the Lilac strand at lower-left through, then the Grape strand at lower-right.
	Pull this new stitch snug; NOT TIGHT. Notice how it doesn't quite look like the SuperBrick we're used to seeing. To me, it sort of looks like a lemon shape. ;-)
	Do ONE MORE SuperBrick stitch and pull it TIGHT! Now that looks more like it! If you turn your work and look at it, you can see how we are now working at a 90-degree angle to the first loop we did.
	Separate the strands into two groups of four again. This time, I'll be getting a group that uses two Apple Greens, one Grape, and one Lilac at the top, and an identical group at the bottom. We need to SPLIT the SuperBrick into TWO Square stitches again. (Scroll back UP to see how to do this again)
	After creating a Square stitch on both sides, we're ready to start working on the SECOND link of our Chain-Link. Remember how many Square stitches we need on each side? That's right, 15 stitches exactly!
	After completing the second set of 15 stitches on both sides.
	You should now be able to see how the project is progressing to give the illusion of two links in a chain.
	Line up your two Square stitch ends and make sure you have one central strand exiting the TOP, and the other exiting the BOTTOM. Remember, if they BOTH exit the TOP or BOTTOM of the stitch, you GOOFED. Either one side has too FEW, or the other side has too MANY stitches. You need 15 stitches exactly! (Actually, you simply need to have an ODD NUMBER of stitches on both sides, preferably the SAME ODD NUMBER!)
	Bend the two central strands, so they become sideways strands again...
	Make your two loops from your outside Apple Green strands...
	Starting on one side, weave your strands through, OVER the nearest, UNDER the farthest. The first two...
	...then the middle two (remember NOT to twist these; let them bend into the stitch)...
	...and your last two.
	Pull this new SuperBrick stitch snug; NOT TIGHT, then do ONE MORE SuperBrick stitch.
	Pull this one tight!
	Turn the work sideways, to get ready for the 'Magic Stitch'...
	If needed, bend the four outside strands out of the way...
	...while you make TWO loops from the central most strands (Apple Green).
	After weaving all six strands through, check to insure they are all interlocked with each other...
	...then pull the stitch SNUG, not tight.
	Do ONE MORE SuperBrick stitch and pull it TIGHT! You're ready to split the stitch up into two more Square stitches. With these lengths, you'll have enough to do two more links. Go ahead and do them now...
	...see how it's all set to make another link, offset by 90-degrees from the last link.
	After completing the last link, do the two SuperBrick stitches to tie the link together, but do NOT do the 'Magic Stitch'. Instead, do ONE MORE SuperBrick stitch, but leave it loose, so you can do a Completion Stitch here.
	I've used the phrase "training the boondoggle" before. We need to do it here as well. The links look a bit boxy or rectangular right now, but we can train the boondoggle to hold a more rounded look. You'll need to find some small cylindrical shaped objects, like magic markers or dowel rods. If you can find ones that make a tight fit into the loops, these are better. We want to shape the links a bit...
This shot shows how I've used my magic markers to aid in the training of the boondoggle. The longer you keep the markers inside the loops, the longer the loops will hold their shape. I highly recommend you leave the markers in place for at LEAST 24 hours; perhaps longer if you're storing the work in a hot, humid area.