pair of Kuchi Cuffs - design inspiration

 This is a pair of so called "Kuchi cuffs" that I have in my collection sourced from an online vendor. The Kuchi people are Afghan Pashtun nomads. Jewelry like this is available from a large number of sites easily found with search on the term kuchi cuff.

The form of these bracelets is the inspiration for the ribbed cuffs that I have been making and posting here. The "H" shaped form is made from a pair of cast segmented pieces connected with a thin infill panel. The shape is tapered with one end about 5/8" wider than the other.

As you can see the heavy sections at the ends of these cuffs are different. One end is a smoother wrapped pattern about 1/2" wide resembling a cord tightly wrapped around a core material.

The other end is a kind of offset or expanded replication of the main pattern on the infill panel. The casting has a dark void space between the outer edge and the inner edge that is soldered to the infill panel. The material is a hard mixed metal   brass of unknown composition.

The cuffs are made with a hinge to enable the wearer to open them up and place them on the wrist. These are small measuring 7" (178 mm) inside circumference tapering to about 7 5/8" (193 mm)

The patterns are a repeating series of diamonds. circles, and linear shapes that resemble a textile fabric. The interior is smooth although this pair seems to have a lot of wear and some separation of the metal at the seams.

photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

grey and yellow beaded tribal inspired cuff bracelet 2517

 Here's another variation on the two-rib cuff design. The ribs are the layered clothesline cords that form the edges and are the structure of the cuff. The loops and buttons are stitched in these heavy cords. The infill cords and beads are laid out inside the edge cords held in place with long needles. Four ply nylon thread is passed through at 90 degrees and tensioned to form the cuff.

Each of these starts out with a similar structure but  develop into unique expressions as the materials are assembled.

The center row of beads are a collection of irregular shapes in a mostly blue green range. These are threaded into the nylon thread during the layout process. When the thread is tensioned the beads and cord are pulled tightly together forming a fabric. This tensioning process is done in sequence to gradually tighten the assembly from the center to the ends.

The resulting form is quite stiff and self supporting for a bunch of string!

 The edges are actually three cords arranged in a triangular relationship. This creates two seams on each rib: one outside, one inside. These seams are where the rows of glass seed beads are stitched in.

Colors are a mix of blues, greens and, off-white. The rib cords are a medium grey.

Size is a firm "medium" 7 1/2" (191 mm) inside circumference when closed.

Two brown plastic buttons and loops make this easy to open but secure when closed.

Look for this and other unique pieces in the fiber art design section of my Etsy shop.


design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

black beaded cuff 2515

 This is not an angry frog but a ribbed cuff made with paracord scraps and a tube of opaque black glass beads. The ribs are a charcoal grey hand dyed clothesline cord that reads quite a bit lighter in these photos than the actual piece. I was shooting on a grey background and color corrected a bit too much perhaps. Anyway the overall effect is "black on black"

 Size is a "medium-small" 7" (178 mm) inside circumference when buttoned up. The paracord materials compress quite easily and in doing so impart a stiffness to the fabric. This bracelet started out almost 3" wide and compressed to about 2" after the cross stitching was tensioned.

The ribs are bound together with the stitching that holds the rows of glass beads. the design is based on the ethnic cuffs from Pakistan and Afghanistan  tribal cultures. Look for this item in the fiber art design section of my Etsy online marketplace soon.




design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

beaded green cuff with three button toggle 2482

 One of the design features of many cuff style bracelets is the clasp or buttons that hold the bracelet closed. This design makes a big deal out of this detail by using three buttons and loops in an interlocking pattern. The bracelet is made from cord segments and glass beads that have been laid out and drawn up into highly textured fabric. Extra lengths of the framing cords were used to form the loops that flip over the buttons.

 Three small buttons are stitched into the framing cords with four ply nylon thread. This assembly is done on a mold to ensure that the buttons and loops placement are coordinated. The loops are made snug but not tight to allow for the addition of more cords and beads. Then the cross stitching is done with the nylon thread. The assembly is left in a relaxed condition while all the cross threads are placed.

Here you can see the position of the three loops and buttons in the finished bracelet.

Two of the loops thread inside the larger third loop in an overlapping pattern. The natural pressure on the inside of the bracelet makes the loops settle under the buttons which makes it more secure.

This bracelet will be available in an upcoming boutique sale. Check Finch's Holiday Time Boutique for details, place and time or visit the fiber art section of my Etsy shop to see some other designs similar to this one.
design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

1 button toggle leather bracelet with brown whipping 2488

 This design came about when I was rummaging around in my scrap box and came across a few pieces of this versatile 2 mm leather lacing. These pieces were too short for making the adjustable chokers so what to do? The buttons were out on my workbench for another project and the holes were exactly the correct size for the lacing.

Recently I reordered waxed cord from Brettun's Village in Maine and received some new brown waxed cord in addition to my regular colors. The brown complements the black leather adding a small bit of texture and is very stable when wrapped tightly.

The design is a simple double loop with a relaxed shape. The leather lacing is bunched and wrapped tightly with the waxed cord using a simple coach whipping technique that buries the looped ends inside the wrapping by pulling on the loose ends on the opposite side, subject of a future tutorial.

This is a "large" size 8 1/2" (216 mm) but these can be made-to-order in any size you like.

Here's a detail of the waxed cord wrapping. In addition to the texture this extra bulk gives the bracelet a bit of shape and stiffness.

See these designs in the newly re-named slender leather knots section of my Etsy shop.

design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

grey paracord turks head knot bracelet 2470

 550 paracord is a popular material for crafters including the survival bracelet market (can't survive without a nylon bracelet? - nice!). This design is not intended to be unraveled in an emergency but it does make a stylish accessory.

This is a silver grey color cord available from u-braid-it braiding supply company. I buy from them because they offer great customer service and quick shipping.

 This bracelet is a 12 x 5 x 3 design made from a double diamond pattern. This requires the use of a mold to hold the cords in place while the knot is developed. The double diamond pattern is too complex to be tied "in-the-hand" the way some of these turks heads are done.

My bracelets are NOT pre-shrunk but are made with new cord materials. This means that you can buy a larger size and expect the bracelet to shrink on your wrist. This example is 7 1/2" (191 mm) circumference just off the mold.

Paracord will shrink approximately 10% to 12% when wet and will take a "set" once it has been immersed in water.  This is the inner filler fibers shrinking, not the outer braided sheath. Repeated wettings will result in a bit more shrinkage each time until the material has reached equilibrium.

See more of these paracord bracelets in the paracord section of my Etsy shop.


design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

red and grey beaded primitive tribal cuff bracelet 2483

Highly textured cotton cords bound tightly together with rows of seed beads forms this contemporary interpretation of tribal style. The framing cord is hand dyed a medium cool grey which offsets the red center cords and the red beads sewn in around the edges. Dark blue and black accents highlight the reds for a bit of contrast.

The cotton materials are soft and comfortable. Size is a "medium" about 7 1/2" (191 mm) inside circumference when closed.

 A pair of loops and buttons makes a secure but easy to manage closure system. The bracelet is made from up cycled segments of hand dyed cotton cord that are arranged on a mold then sewn together with four ply nylon thread. Glass beads are worked into the edges in the seams.

The nylon thread stretches during the construction and holds tension on the fabric so the bracelet has as semi-rigid form and inherent shape.

This piece will be offered in an upcoming boutique sale. Check Finch's Holiday Time Boutique for details, place and time or visit the fiber art section of my Etsy shop to see some other designs similar to this one.

design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

red beaded rope bracelet 2481

 This beaded cuff bracelet is made with bleached clothesline cord a couple of plastic buttons and a handful of glass beads. The outer two rows are a mix of red and clear beads with a few mixed colors that look like cat's eye marbles. The center is a collection of orange, amber, and purple. All these are real glass so they catch the light.

 The design has this offset loop and button closure system which you can see in the photo. This makes it easy to take on and off. When closed the size is a "medium" measuring 7 1/2" (191 mm) inside circumference. The large number of glass beads makes this a nice hefty weight which you will notice when you are wearing this cuff.

Construction is with four ply waxed nylon thread so everything is secure but flexible to wear comfortably.

This piece will be offered in an upcoming boutique sale. Check Finch's Holiday Time Boutique for details, place and time or visit the fiber art section of my Etsy shop to see some other designs similar to this one.


design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

soft cotton beaded cuff rope bracelet 2480

 I find I'm having a bit more time after a big rush of orders to make another of these unique cuffs. This one is made with super soft almost plush cotton piping cord along with some of the hand dyed cord scraps lurking in the bottom of the scrap bin. Reduce, reuse, recycle...rinse repeat.


The outside edges are rimmed with a blue and green mix of glass seed beads that are worked into the seams of the cotton piping cord.

 Two large off white plastic buttons and loops make this secure and are easy to manipulate. The bracelet opens up at the loops and is a 7 1/2" (191 mm) inside circumference when closed.

The look is BIG but the materials are feather light and very soft to the touch. A bit of the tribal style made in new materials. This cuff is 1 7/8" (46 mm) wide and will really stand out.

This piece will be offered in an upcoming boutique sale. Check Finch's Holiday Time Boutique for details, place and time or visit the fiber art section of my Etsy shop to see some other designs similar to this one.


design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

under the sea beaded cord bracelet 2471

 Made from small segments of hand dyed cotton cord, seed beads, and a button this bracelet recalls the ocean with a mix of blue "bubble" beads in the waves.

The cord segments are cut offs from the making of turks head knot bracelets. The turks head bracelets are made with a longer piece of cord, then drawn up to a finished shape leaving a few inches of material which goes into the scrap box.

 The construction process starts with the heaver cord shown on the edges which is looped over a mold and tied off. A button is added to hold the loop. The colored cords are laid inside the heavier outer cord and held in place with long needles.

A four ply nylon thread is then passed back and forth through the cords and beads. After it has been placed  the thread is drawn up tight compressing the cord strands. The loose ends are buried and trimmed off.

You can find this design and more of these unique bracelets in the fiber art design section of my Etsy shop.

This example is a smaller size measuring just 7 1/2" inside circumference when the button is placed in the loop.

design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop

decoding the knot: bights x parts x strands knot 2467

  To count the parts on a turks head knot follow one part as it crosses the face of the knot and count the number of "over" and "under" crossings. In this example you can count five crossings and add the one you are following for a total of six.

This design is a "diamond pattern" shown in the Ashley Book of Knots on p. 241, pattern #1350

Homework: why does Ashley call this a diamond pattern? Leave a comment with your answer below.

 To count the bights on a turks head knot count the number of places where the cord changes direction on the rim. In this example there are 17 bights.


This design is described as being between a "square" and a "narrow" turks head. It was made to be 7 5/8" (194 mm) inside circumference a comfortable size for a stylish nautical bracelet.

The number of strands or passes is three. The design can be described as a 17 x 6 x 3 corresponding to the number of bights x number of parts x number of strands.






design and photographs © copyright 2012 WhatKnotShop