chainmaille isn't difficult. it's just far more time consuming than anything. it is quite rewarding if you learn other tips and tricks to it.

If you have two left hands. LOL I have mistakes very often.

one of the easiest ways I've found, such as to get a width I want, is make many "butterfly" pieces. 5 rings with 1 of them as the center, then when I have a few, I link two of the rings to each and connect the chains. after that it's as easy as "connect two with this in the center" and repeat.

He showed me where you get many 2in1 chains and hook together to make the patch. I think yours is better.

If you do the individual 4:1 pieces, then connect them once you have a handful it's easy. just place the center ring between your thumb and index finger and flatten the rings and they naturally fall in a pattern. After that it's just linking 1 new ring with 2 old rings and your pattern comes along fast and easy. I have a couple of examples in my gallery of 4/1 and 6/1 and the density they make. both of them took me perhaps a half hour combined, and most of that time was dismantling the rings from an older project.

6:1 is similar starting patterns too. and if you have large enough ID's, you can do 8:1 which looks REALLY cool but is super dense. If you manage to make a shirt or even a vest out of 8:1 you'll realize it's like liquid steel in a sense, and very very heavy.