Ella says...

Ella says: "I like these rope bracelets because they don't fall apart. I have some other ones that come undone but not these!"

In the active on-the-go world of a busy pre teen having a quality rope bracelet is important. The last thing you need is for it to come undone while swimming or hanging out with friends.

All WhatKnotShop rope bracelets are made with high quality materials. Each is worked up to a finished shape (except for the DIY kits) ready for the beach. The loose ends are carefully stitched up to prevent fraying and unraveling. This sturdy kid approved construction means that you can have a summer full of fun with your favorite rope bracelet and never worry  about it coming apart.

Here are three new handmade rope bracelets from the summer collection:
Three part teal blue made with smooth texture hand dyed cord.
Five part grey herringbone made with soft twisted cable cord.
Wider nine part ecru herringbone made with un-dyed cotton blend cable cord.

A closeup of the nine part herringbone bracelet showing the distinctive "v" patterns created by the double overlapping weave. The herringbone weave makes an extra stretchy bracelet that can expand to fit over a larger hand but will shrink down to a comfortable snug fit.

"I really like to wear my bracelets all the time, like even when I'm going skiing and I have to pull a sweater on over them."

Find a favorite for your summer...

by the bay

Three of the classic white 100% cotton turks head knot rope bracelets made by hand in Jamestown photographed on location at the Dumplings.

Lighthouse red 100% hand dyed cotton turks head knot rope bracelet. In the background is Clingstone the house on the rock built by a relative of Joseph Wharton in 1905.

Two of the teal blue hand dyed cotton turks head knot rope bracelets made with smooth braided cotton cord.

design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

by the sea

 Here's a view of the lower east passage of Naragansett Bay. In the distance is Rams Head part of Aquidneck Island where the famous resort and tourist town of Newport is located. The sailboats are tacking into a moderate southerly breeze. In the foreground are some of the product inventory that I'm trying to replace for the online shops.

In order: black, white, fuchsia pink, purple, and orange.

Here's some of the all cotton three part white cotton rope bracelets that are popular with beach goers and sailing crews.

Newport RI located just across the bay is home to many day charter operations that offer visitors a chance to sail on these very picturesque boats. The weather is warm and sunny, the wind is up and the sailing is great!

Behind the scenes at WhatKnotShop - part 1

As many of my fellow crafters know the work that appears on the blog or online shop is merely the tip of the iceberg. Here's a picture of some of the prep work that goes into making rope bracelets.

Here on my dining room table the segments of colored cord have been cut to length and are grouped with the production tickets from recently sold items. Each piece of cord will have it's own card that tracks design and has a unique serial number. The next step is to actually make the bracelet.

The completed item is then stored in a bag with the numbered ticket ready for publication and sale.
This photo shows the completed bracelets (stored in serial number order). The stackable cardboard boxes are (free!) from Costco, the 3x5 cards are both labels and the key element in the inventory control  system.

As each bracelet is sold the ticket is reviewed to determine if the item will be re-made. The ticket is  then used to create the next bracelet.

design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

white star knot bracelet with blue and green beads 2106

 Here is another in the continuing series of star knot bracelets made with beads. This one is made with 2 mm braided nylon cord (actually sold as kite string) and two colors of plastic pony beads.

The blue beads are placed on the perimeter where there are two parallel bights. The green beads are placed at the center "spine" of the knot where the cord passes laterally though the loops.

The construction is a single pass of the cord making this a rather lightweight design.

 Previously published designs include this
black star knot bracelet with red beads which was also published on Pearl's blog back on June 4, 2012

rope bracelet with star knot meridian
(also executed in 2 mm white cord including a reference to the pattern author who designed this knot)

star knot meridian cotton rope bracelet 1739

The design needs a pattern, pins and some patience to lay out. This one required three "go-backs" to correct errors in the weave pattern.

Size is a "medium" measuring 7 3/4" (195 mm) inside circumference with plenty of flexibility.


design by Norbert Trupiano used with permission, photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop