herringbone weave bracelet in brown leather cord 1392

This is an "over-two, under-two" herringbone weave bracelet made with 2 mm brown leather cord. The size of this example is 7" (178 mm). Both larger and smaller sizes can be made. This is the same weave design as can be seen in many other herringbone designs made with cotton cord. The leather cord is untreated so it creaks a bit when flexed kind of like an old wicker chair when you sit on it.

            Available here
design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

Shades of Grey collection now open on Etsy

There are so many Shades of Grey that puppet from Nova Scotia had to choose carefully to make this collection. Lucky for us she picked some great crafts!

One of my favorites are the Nattily Neutral Coasters-- Set of Six made by Jennifer Brown. Her shop PiecfulDesign is filled with (among other things)  baskets and bowls made from fiber wrapped clothesline which is a modern variation on traditional basket weaving techniques.

  ThreeBlueBee from Istanbul has a playful collection of Crocheted Beads 12 Pcs Stones which are wooden beads covered with crochet. Perfect elements for any designer needing some shape and, yes, color for their work. Her shop of the same name has many more organic beads and balls in a rainbow of colors. You can also read her "quit my day job" LoveandDream posted to the Etsy blog for the inside scoop.

The featured listing in this grey collection is a comfortable wide cuff white & grey cotton turks head knot rope bracelet made from 100% cotton hand dyed cord.

blue on blue nylon ankle bracelet 1387

Recently a customer requested a special color anklet similar to this design but made out of a blue cord. I had three colors already made up: light blue (left), lilac (center), and dark blue (right) were offered as possibilities. She chose the light and dark blue.
This is 1/8" nylon/synthetic braid that has been treated in a dye bath. Most of the dye washes out leaving a very subtle color. The nylon material has a natural transparency which highlights the color that does remain.


Here's the ankle bracelet in it's expanded form ready to ship. The two cords have been laid parallel in a 22x9x2 plain weave design with the ends left loose. The inside circumference is approx. 12" to enable it to fit over the foot. The slack is then worked out to reduce the diameter and make a comfortable size. Nylon will shrink very slightly (much less than cotton cord) when wet.


To see how to "work up" a turks head knot to a smaller size click here
design and photogrpahs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

Forget me not new collection now on Etsy

bonniejoysmith created this new treasury collection Forget-me-not filled with beautiful blues and greys. From her Brooklyn studio Suela you can find travel-inspired yoga mat bags sewn using beautiful wax print fabric from Eastern Africa.

I really like the Handmade Leather Journal, The Traveler in Sky Blue even though this one is marked "sold" you can find more of these like the Handmade Button Up Leather Journal, Summer Butterfly in peaseblossomstudio from deep in the heart of Texas.

TwistedRiverClay offers a handsome Beautiful Blues Handmade Pottery Mug along with an entire studio filled with durable handmade pottery. Visit Ron and Char's web site http://www.TwistedRiverClay.com to see more.

The featured item in this collection is white & faded teal turks head knot sailor rope bracelet made with 100% hand dyed cotton cord. Find this and more blended colors in the WhatKnotShop Etsy store.

black string cuff bracelet 1386

Extra soft black polyester cord is mold wrapped with the finger interlock weave pattern to form this 13 strand string bracelet. Slips on comfortably then you forget it's there.

No stretch design, no shrink material, no nonsense black.

Available here.



design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

Hot Pink Summer collection warming up now on Etsy

Summer is coming (hopefully) soon and Mary R is doing her best to warm up the season with Hot Pink Summer collection. Click 'n visit her shop itsmemary to see her crocheted beaded bracelets in a wide variety of colors and designs. Find her blog itsmemary for more great stuff.

Hot stuff: BODY GLOVE Hot Pink Neoprene Bikini Swimsuit by luckyvintageseattle makes the grade as does CHERRY RED Suede Lace Up Gladiator Boots, 8-8.5 and other vintage items in this shop.

The electric fuchsia silk garden dress made by Nicole offered in her shop  DOTTO. Lots more killer outfits to choose from, take a look!

The featured item in this collection is white & pink wide cuff turks head sailor knot bracelet which can go with these outfits or your summer wear. See all the neon brights in the Etsy shop.

small stuff herringbone weave rope bracelet 1240

This classic herringbone weave design is made with a #24 cotton cord which is a smaller diameter that the 3 mm material. This enables a finer weave and a lighter appearance in the finished bracelet.

Size is a "medium" measuring 7 1/4" (185 mm) inside diameter and only 1/2" (14 mm) wide.

See this and other herringbone weave designs in my Zibbet shop.

design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

Beach Swirls and Waves washing up now on Etsy

Blue is the color of our home planet and Alyssia is tuned into the cosmic waves on the beach of our collective unconscious with this new Etsy treasury Beach Swirls and Waves.

trinketsbydana offers this Ocean Blue Tidal Wave Knotted Bracelet made with cotton floss part of a colorful collection of knotted friendship bracelets you can find in her Etsy shop. You can also visit Dana's blog to read more about her artistic efforts and donate to tsunami relief efforts.

TheNoteableKnot offers a simple understated elegant Hemp Wish Bracelets including this  Hemp Wish Bracelet, White Opaque Glass Beads. Also be sure to look at the Micro Macrame section in her Etsy shop for custom colors at unbeatable prices.

The featured product in this collection is the ocean & sky turks head knot sailor bracelet the traditional three part braided sailor bracelet made from blue and green hand dyed cotton cord. This is the narrower and smaller version of another popular design: blue-green turks head knot sailor bracelet find them both and other blended colors as well in the Etsy shop.

First one, then another a matched pair of custom cuffs 1329

A customer contacted me recently looking for a particular design in a black and grey combination. Upon receiving the order he immediately ordered a second bracelet of the same design. Here you can see the the results:  a handsome pair of hands with five part turks head bracelets.


The black cord is a polyester blend while the center is a cotton cord hand dyed to a light silver grey color. Getting the fit correct involved providing one of the bracelets with loose ends. This enabled the wearer to slip on the unfinished bracelet then carefully remove the slack to get a comfortable size.


You can measure your hands using this blog post as a guide. When you know your size you can shop the online venues Etsy ArtFire or Zibbet  for the right color and weave design. You may also make a request for a special size if you don't find exactly what you are looking for.


design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

We Must Away, Ere Break Of Day - To The Beach collection on Etsy

Going to the beach? ZavalickDesigns will take us there with this Shakespearian invitation collection We Must Away, Ere Break Of Day - To The Beach and it's going to be a fun trip. Dave and Adrienne Zavalick offer digital art with messages from their home in Lancaster County PA.

The most intriguing item in this collection has got to be the Octopus Terrarium Gift boxed kit offered by eliza and her terradctl team  from down under. Her shop has other micro terrariums ready to grow.

I also like the hand-painted wood 'BEACH' sign by makemethat from Westchester County NY Jamie's shop is filled with signage that points the way to easy summer living.

The featued item is green and blue turks head knot sailor bracelet large which is made from my favorite beach colors and available in multiple sizes. Visit the Etsy Shop to see this and other turks head rope bracelets just right for summer. 

grey extra wide turks head knot bracelet 1169

 Blue-grey hand dyed cord is used to make this handsome extra wide cuff. The 100% cotton cord absorbs the dye from the outside-in. Working the cord through the knot untwists the cable cord slightly which exposes the lighter inner color. This gives the bracelet an attractive variegated color.
This design is a 22 x 9 x 2 double diamond weave pattern. Size is 7 5/8" (194 mm) inside circumference or a "medium" slip-on size. 
This bracelet is part of a consignment that is headed out to Portland Oregon. If you are in the Portland area stop by Emily Baker's tiny design studio Sword+Fern located at 18 E Burnside in Portland. To keep up with what's happening follow emily's blog  where she posts delightful numinous object for all.


design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

Seaside Dreams collection now musing on Etsy

West Lafayette Indiana is nowhere close to a salt water seaside but Ashley doesn't let that stop her from creating this Seaside Dreams collection. Visit her shop The Sunshine Girl to see a small but fun collection of crochet and a hollow book (stash for ??) Her treasury collection is cleverly arranged with white, yellow, turquoise, and green groupings vertically and necklace, handbags, bracelets, and earrings horizontally. (should we expect randomness from an engineering student?)

My picks are from the bracelet row. The Sunshine Yellow. Cloud Cuckoo Bracelet with Faceted Clam Shell, Glass bead, Lucite Flower and Czech Glass leaf title is almost as long as the bracelet its self. Made by CloudCuckooLand from Hong Kong. See more of Kiki's fine work in her shop of the same name.

Fiona - Single Wrap Adventurine on Leather offered by MadRiverDesigns is one of a series of wrap style bracelets in a multitude of colors inspired by the landscapes and rivers of Vermont.

The featured item in this collection is green and blue turks head knot sailor bracelet made with two shades of blue and green cord. This design is limited availability as the subtle green color is difficult to replicate perfectly. See more mixed color rope bracelets in the blended colors section of my Etsy shop.

braided, woven, or tied? (shaken or stirred?) Etsy treasury

Looking through the huge offering of cuffs on Etsy got me thinking about the indirect structure that knotted fibers create. Think about it, an ordinary piece of string is a relaxed almost limp piece of material that can be pulled and if connected to something will exert force on that object. Otherwise it's not got much to it until it is bundled together, crossed over, twisted, or knotted with other "weak" strands to form  a substantial object.

In this collection of cuffs are examples of soft and seemingly insubstantial materials that have been made into colorful and comfortable accessories.

From the organic Fancy Vintage Button Crocheted Cuff Grey, Black, Purple to the exuberant Crescen-T Upcycled T-Shirt Macrame Cuff Bracelet Light Blue and Yellow  to the bold Cuff with kangaroo laced braid over Italian leather there is a common construction technique that (pardon the pun) binds these designs together. So be sure to click through to see many other interesting items that lurk in the shops behind this treasury.

small blue rope bracelet 1339

Sometimes it's the simple things that carry the most impact like this small size (6 1/2" 165 mm) blue cotton bracelet. The weave design is the over two-under two herringbone pattern made with a denim blue hand dyed cotton braid. 


The cord is a 100% cotton american made from T.W. Evans Cordage Company located in Cranston R.I. Crafters can find their products in hardware stores or you can order directly online. 


This cotton cord can be found in a number of items in the WhatKnotShop online venues. Find this item in the solid colors section of the Zibbet Shop. Custom sizes are available by special order.


design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

A pretty pink & purple Friday the 13th collection on Etsy

Friday the thirteenth might be considered an unlucky day but OriginalMischief a.k.a. Monique from Grant County WI went ahead and created A pretty pink & purple Friday the 13th and I'm glad she did! Her Etsy shop is filled with colorful Hip handmades using vintage and retro fabrics. Find out more about her world of fabric on her blog, follow her on Twitter or if all else fails friend her on Facebook.

My picks from this pink and purple extravaganza are the Flower Bunny with Bow created by MamiMadeIt from Vienna. This soft toy is sure to become a favorite bed time companion for a lucky child. SallyRags from Salem OR makes this Pretty In Pink Upcycled Basket one of a series of soft ecofriendly containers you can find in her Etsy shop. Perfect storage for bathroom sundries.

The featured item in this collection is white & pink wide cuff turks head sailor knot bracelet a bright and (yes) PINK slip on cuff bracelet made from durable synthetic cord. Find more of these in the neon brights section of my Etsy shop.

colorful rope bracelets for kids

 green 1331

typically 5 3/4" (146 mm) inside circumference with some stretch built in

red 1333 

all 100% american made cotton cable cord from Knotstuff Cords

 yellow 1334

hand dyed colors are made in small batches read about how it's done

 orange 1335

not sure what size you need? read this posting to find out how to measure and correctly estimate size

 light green 1336

If you want some good tutorials on how to make these check out this blog posting for my favorite online "how-to" resources

 grey 1337

When I make grey dye baths I always seem to get a nice variety of grey cords. See a micro-collection of grey bracelets here.

purple 1338

see a variety of other designs in the children's bracelets section of my Zibbet Shop



design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

My Bright Wishes collection now playing on Etsy

My Bright Wishes is this collection published recently on Etsy by curator Victoriya. Her shop Accessory Gallery by Lasunka  carries an assortment of barefoot sandals some of which are made to order. You might also be interested in her shop Handmade Jewelry by Vikulya  featuring elegant beaded bracelets.

The design of this make-up bag by Ikbal Peksimet in her shop colorful concept is very similar to the plain-wave rope bracelets with the distinctive zig-zag overlapping weave.

Greek sea necklace silk and cotton crochet cord with metal chain and findings offered by another Greek artist Evelyn from her creationsbyeve  is a colorful bit of nautical chic design.

The featured item in this collection is the turquoise herringbone sailor bracelet made with a hand dyed cotton/poly cord in the distinctive and elastic herringbone weave design. This is a one-and-only piece as the cord has been all used up. See more designs in herringbone weave listed under solid colors in my Etsy shop

Rainbow bracelets 1315

Recently I received a request from a customer who wanted some special bracelets to offer as a fundraising premium. Here is a look at the results.
The design is based on a herringbone weave pattern which is the "over two-under two" sequence which creates the distinctive "V" pattern. A piece of cotton cord is used to create a 29 bight knot. A series of hand dyed cotton cord are then added one by one to fill out the weave. The colors are red, yellow, green, and blue. 

As you can see one edge of the bracelet exposes the colored cords as they loop through the knot. The opposite edge is made from the white cord that forms the structure of the bracelet. The ends are trimmed off and stitched up to prevent the whole thing from coming undone. 


The geometry of the knot allows up to five colors to be used. The possible color combinations range from a single color like this blue to green series to a mix of colors as seen here.


These can be made in a range of sizes from very small designed to fit kids on up to extra large designed to fit your favorite knuckle dragging lumberjack, truck driver, or stone mason.


design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

White woven through our world collection on ArtFire

StephanieRonnyeknit1bead2 has assembled an elegant collection of white woven crafts from all over the world. This grandmother-grandaughter team share their passion for beading and knitting in their ArtFire Shop  where you will find delightful color combinations in beaded bracelets, necklaces and scarves.
Shangri La Craft based in Canada offers Tibetan silver, beads, and leather including this handsome Large White Weaved Cuff bracelet all made with ancient traditional techniques. See their extensive offerings in their ArtFire Shop.

Sandeeknits has created this Organic Ivory Cotton Crochet Fringe Scarf that is but one of the many colorful exciting scarf designs in her ArtFire Shop. You should also check out her Dog Sweaters. Your pooch will never look so good!

The featured item in this collection is the white herringbone rope bracelet medium one of the popular herringbone weave design series bracelets. Many more colors are shown in the solid colors section of my ArtFire Shop. If you are unsure how to select the correct size click here to read all about sizing.

Grey is the color of passion collection on Etsy

Grey is the color of passion collection made by rachelhough offers a glimpse into the unusual and eclectic vintage world of "A new wife in a small town figuring out her life and what it means to be a housewife in the 21st Century."

For my part I'd love to go back to Paris and look for The Red Balloon - A whimsical Paris photo made by irenesuchocki from Montreal. Her Etsy shop features more romantic photographs from european cities.

While on the road you will need the MacBook Wool Felt Sleeve Case - Grey to protect your laptop. A visit to RainShoppe offers many more options for elegant electronics protection.

The featured item in this treasury is the cool grey herringbone sailor bracelet 1325 made out of hand dyed braided cotton cord. More colors and sizes are available in the Herringbone Weave Bracelets section of the Zibbet shop as well as the Solid Colors section of the ArtFire shop.

Antique ships wheel with fancy knot work

Got boat? Well maybe it's the  ship's wheel that makes the difference. This antique ships wheel sports a black asymmetrical turks head knot on the king spoke. This is the "up-and-down" position of the wheel when the rudder is amidships and the ship is moving (hopefully) in a straight line. The helmsman can determine the location of the king spoke and know the position of the rudder by grasping the knot while his/her attention is focused elsewhere.


Of course this particular ship may never need the serious attention of an experienced navigator but it will definitely need a yard maintenance crew sometime in the near future.


Thanks to Patsy at South Seas Charter for sending in these photos.


If you like the design of this unusual form of the turks head knot you can read more about it here. These can be ordered in two sizes for use as a king spoke marker or as a fashion forward rope bracelet. Here's an example of the design in a silver nylon cord. If you like the shape but want a different color please make a custom request.


design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

Simple grey summer collection on Etsy

Keeping it simple in the summer is wise advice offered by Krista Wilder in this simple grey summer collection now showing on Etsy. Visit Krista's shop BuyWilder to see her detailed and colorful photography. I especially like the Imagination photo with it's abstract form.

Now I'm not a bag-person but this Great Grey, Everyday Bag, Shoulder Bag, Nr - 0171 has a nice proportion and subtle fabric design which makes it elegantly understated. Check out NzLbags other fine work which ships from Europe (somewhere!)

The color of this Subtle Square on grey and white stripe Top made by Beki Wilson in her shop outofline is cool and simple summer made real. Check out Becki's website for more great work.

The featured item in this collection is the white & grey turks head knot sailor bracelet MED 1147 a very simple design that comes in multiple sizes from small to extra large. To get yours simply check the size in the listing and convo me if you want smaller or larger. I'll have a reserved listing up within a day or two. See, simple!

The greys have it

 This micro collection is made from four different turks head rope bracelets made out of four different variation on grey.


This example is a blue-grey braided cotton cord worked in a herringbone weave design. This item available in the Etsy shop where you can find other solid color handmade rope bracelets in a variety of colors. (1325)

 This wider design is also blue-grey made in a plain weave pattern with a soft lay cotton-polyester blend cable cord. This one is available in the ArfFire shop where there is a larger collection of this medium width plain weave design and a variety of the herringbone patterns as well. (1072)

This is a blend of turquoise blue and grey soft lay 100% cotton cable cord. The center strand is a light turquoise blue, the outer two strands are light grey. This bracelet is available in the Zibbet shop where you can find other blended color rope bracelets in a variety of interesting combinations. (1077)

Here is another herringbone weave made from a very soft cotton cord with a relaxed braided cover. The variegated color reflects the cord materials which are not as tightly woven as other braided cords. Find this one on Etsy. (1327)




design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

of the earth new collection on Etsy

We are all of the earth... and so are the craft items in this collection by Stephanie Nan Oliver from Rain City Canada. Her shop seedknits is filled with beautiful original designs made with secondhand  (and new) yarns and fabrics. Visit her blog to learn more.

I'm an incurable rock collector so I'm drawn to the Drilled Beach Stones Set offered by StoneMe who picks up found treasure from the shore of Lake Michigan.

These Maple Burl Bowls created by Greg Gallegos also from Michigan would be a comfortable nest for that special rock collection. See makye77 natural selection studio for finely crafted wooden vessels finished in natural and sometimes special colors.

The featured item in this collection is the fog grey herringbone sailor bracelet. This one is offered in a medium size but may be ordered in a "small" or "large" as you prefer for no additional cost. See additional color selections in the solid colors section of the Etsy Shop or visit my Zibbet shop to see an even wider variety of herringbone weave bracelets.