men's wide ankle bracelet blue black beaded design strata series

 Handmade ankle bracelet Design Strata for men. This example is made from mixed fiber blue, green, white and black cords with both blue and black glass beads. Some edge wrapping with blue cotton floss finishes off this casual anklet.

This piece measures about 9 1/4" (235 mm) inside circumference which is comfortable fit.

 Anklet is secured with two loops and small plastic buttons for easy removal. Water tolerant materials can be immersed without harm.

Cords are laid out on a circular mold and edge bound together using four ply waxed nylon thread. Average width is about 2" (51 mm)

 More designs like these are available in the fiber art section of WhatKnotShop on Etsy.










design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

blue tooth dinosaur spiked rope bracelet 2909

 More from the land before time...this little cuff is bluetooth compatible but you can't pair it to another device unless it's your wrist.

The polymer clay "teeth" are securely stitched into the fabric using high strength nylon thread.

Very tribal

 This one is like several other dinosaur cuffs:

Stegosaurus spiked rope bracelet 2766

and

dinosaur spiked bracelet 2793

Size is small about 7" (178mm)

The button is reclaimed from an old worn out pair of shorts.

Look for this soon in the Fiber Art Design section of my Etsy shop.


design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

one button bracelet with paper beads 2667

 Another of the very simple one button bracelet designs made with cotton cord. The variation on this one is the use of handmade paper beads in the center. You can see the distinctive layered pattern in the close up photos.

Read the tutorial showing how to make the one-button pattern here.

The paper beads are used the same way that glass or ceramic or wood beads might be used. The difference is that each bead is actually unique.

 The subtle variations in color and size give this bracelet a more variegated vibe. The bead colors tend towards gray with little bits of color here and there.

Those of you familiar with the making of paper beads know that it's a wet process using strips of paper and an acrylic glue-sealant material. The beads are made, let dry, re-coated several times and finally are ready for use.

This group was made in my studio using white glue as the adhesive and later coated with acrylic.

Here's a good look at some of the texture created by the laminating process.

The beads are much lighter weight than glass but work into the weave in much the same way.

                Available here

design and photographs copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

soft bangle with beads 2660

 Soft cotton hand dyed cord scraps and a few glass beads are used to build this casual slip-on style bracelet. Unlike the one button designs this one is a "squeeze to fit" bangle measuring a generous 8 5/8" (219 mm) inside circumference.

One 12 mm lavender glass bead and five smaller red beads are tightly integrated in the fabric.

This is the latest in a series of similar designs:

green fiber bangle bracelet with beads 1448

cotton fiber bracelet red & orange with beads 468

three new )strata( designs

orbit beaded soft bangle bracelet grey design )strata( 631

orbit beaded soft bangle blue design )strata( 630

Colors are brown, rust, natural, scarlet, with a verdigris accent.







design and photographs copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

blue beaded two button bracelet 2630

 This one has nothing to do whatever with knotting per-se but appears here anyway as an exercise in beadwork. The glass beads are a random collection predominantly reds and oranges but with a few blue and green and a couple of black opaque beads too.

In the correct lighting the beads glow with color as you can see in this photo. It's a nice effect.

The cord structure is very similar to the one button fabric bracelets. The framing cords are a 1/4" braided nylon hand dyed blue with two buttons and loops. Instead of edge binding the cords as infill the beads are placed between the framing cords and threaded on the four ply nylon. You can see the exposed stitching on the outside edges.

Size is medium-small measuring 7 1/4" (183 mm) inside circumference when closed.



                 Available here


design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

two button cuff bracelet with black glass beads 2641

 The third in a series of cuffs assembled from pairs of one-button rope bracelets featuring different types of beads. This design is the widest of the three with a center of 12 mm black glass beads. The contrast between the bright white, ecru, and grey fabric and  the solid dark glass beads creates visual drama.

Read the tutorial here showing how to make the one button bracelets.

 The framing cords are 1/4" braided line which creates a solid edge and provides a place to stitch in the beads. The buttons and loops are easy to pop open if you have really big hands, this is a big cuff measuring 8 1/2" (211 mm) inside circumference so you may be able to just slip it on over your hand instead. Here are the other two like this:

two button ribbed cuff bracelet with wood beads 2644
two button rainbow bead cuff rope bracelet 2643

The edge binding makes the cord fabric stiff enough to hold it's shape. The nylon thread keeps a tension on the fabric and you can see the little dimples where it is placed along the edge of the framing cord.


Available soon in my Etsy shop


design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

two button rainbow bead cuff rope bracelet 2643

 This design is actually a pair of one button bracelets made from the same batch of infill color cords with the center seam filled with a row of brightly colored 10 mm glass beads.

This tutorial explains how to make a one button rope bracelet. 

Here are some other designs:
Grey and white one button rope bracelet 2635
Simple one button rope bracelet 2577

 The beads are stitched in using a piece of four ply nylon thread which is embedded in the framing cord at the edges, invisible in these photos though.

Made on an 8" mold this bracelet is about 7 7/8"  (200 mm) inside circumference. There is some shrinkage due to the compression that occurs with the edge binding process.

Measures about 1 7/8" (48 mm) wide.

The loops are made from the framing cord, buttons stitched in place on the gather end of infill cords using nylon thread.


                      Available here.



design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

Green and white beaded cuff bracelet 2629

This is another in the series of one button rope bracelets made from up-cycled cord segments, a few beads and some cotton floss. The basic assembly is the same as this tutorial but with a few extra embellishments.

This design is a bit wider about 1 5/8" (42 mm) and has a double row of glass beads in the fabric. The edges are wrapped with cotton floss. The framing cord is made from cotton piping which is very soft and easily damaged.

 The floss is placed after the cords have been compressed so the shape and size is established.

The colors are muted sage and blue. Beads are green and blue. The white nylon cord is a recycled shopping bag handle.

More one button designs here:
Simple one button rope bracelet 2577
black and blue one button rope bracelet 2616

And a more over-the-top design here:
Grey and white two button beaded tribal cuff 

The floss is used here to reinforce and protect the button loop. Size is a large medium measuring 7 3/4" (196 mm). This was made on an 8" mold.

                  Available here

Visit the fiber art section of my Etsy shop to see more of these designs.

design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

grey and white one button rope bracelet 2635

This one button bracelet was made from cotton cable cord and two segments of hand dyed grey braided clothesline cord. The construction technique is shown starting with part one of a seven part tutorial.

The heavier braided cord forms a small ridge detail in the center. The edge binding holds this bracelet together with the residual tension in the nylon thread.

 Here you can see the tiny dimples formed by the edge binding thread.

The framing cord in this design is a piece of cotton cable cord which is the same thickness as the infill cords so the result is a low profile edge condition.

 Here you can see the stirrup loop formed by the framing cord.

This is a size "medium" 7 3/4" (197 mm) inside circumference. This was made on an 8" mold and shrunk about 1/4" during the binding process.

                    Available here


design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

extra wide beaded cotton cuff 2628

  All cotton extra wide beaded cuff assembled from braided cord, cable cord and lots of glass beads. The assembly process for this design involves making the two fabric sides separately and later joining them together with the big beads in the center seam.

The bigger beads are a variety of colors and shapes recalling a beach full of smooth stones. The small beads are like bubbles in the fabric.

  There are only two small buttons and loops which leaves plenty of space for a little "coastline" of beads along the ends. These are stitched on after the big pieces of the bracelet have been put together.

The tensioned nylon binding thread holds the shape of this cuff and gives it some flexibility.

This one is 3 1/4" (83 mm) wide but only 1 1/8" (183 mm) inside circumference giving it a nice long proportion.

                    Available here.

more of these in the fiber art section of my Etsy shop

design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

one button beaded cuff red and tan earth tones 2618

 All cotton cord of various textures from the braided clothesline cord, the traditional cotton cable cord, and a loose braided cotton are used to build this warm earth-tone color combination. Like the other bracelets in this series the materials are all from the scrap (er...resource!) box. These days I have to battle the cat for possession as he thinks this is a box of cat-toys.

The construction technique is shown starting with part one of a seven part tutorial.

 Two offset rows of glass beads are worked into the pattern a dark purple alongside the brown cords and the brighter red in the center of the red cords.

Size is a medium 7 1/2" (191 mm)

Construction is typical edge stitching using the four ply nylon thread and compressing the cords to make the firm but flexible fabric. A brown plastic button connects to the stirrup loop for a simple closure.

Find this bracelet listed here and more in the fiber art design section of WhatKnotShop on Etsy.

See other one-button designs here:
simple one button rope bracelet 2577
black and blue one button rope bracelet 2616
blue grey one button rope bracelet 2615
seaweed one button rope bracelet 2611



design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

seaweed one button rope bracelet 2611

 The title suggests the inspiration: That bright colored stuff clinging to the bottom of the floats and half submerged rocks. Often seen through a few inches of seawater the color is filtered. This one button bracelet is made from all cotton materials found in my leftover scrap-box.

The framing cord is a white cotton braid but everything else is that rope-like twisted cable cord. Adds an interesting textured diagonal pattern to the fabric.

 The color mix is white with green, grey, and blue. The cotton cord takes the dye in a more subtle way so the colors tend to be muted almost pastel in quality. The grey warms up next to the cool greens and creates a nice simultaneous contrast that adds some energy but doesn't knock your eyes out.

The construction technique is shown starting with part one of a seven part tutorial.

Here's another one like this:
simple one button rope bracelet 2577

The edge binding squeezes this one into a narrow 7/8" (23 mm) width, not too big!

                         Available here


Take a look in the fiber art design section of my Etsy shop to see this design as well as some other bigger and wilder variations.


design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

blue grey one button rope bracelet 2615

 Another mostly synthetic scrap-box creation this time in lighter colors.

Outer cord is a bright white nylon, an ecru cotton cord sets off the inner light blue cords and there is a single (very subtle) center strand of green.

Mold size was 7 1/2" finished size about 7 1/4" (183 mm) inside circumference)

The construction technique is shown starting with part one of a seven part tutorial.

 Here you can see the color progression clearly. This is a narrow 7/8" (17 mm) width.

The synthetic materials are low friction compared to the cotton cord which makes the edge binding process much easier. The needle slides through the cords more easily resulting in fewer stab wounds.

A couple of other one button examples here:
simple one button rope bracelet 2577
black and blue one button rope bracelet 2616

Here you can see how the outer framing cord makes the button loop. The binding process squeezes the cords sideways and care must be taken to leave enough slack so the loop will disengage the button. The slippery nylon helps make it easier to pop the button out of the loop as well.               Available here.

         Etsy shop design section here.

design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

black and blue one button rope bracelet 2616

 Here's another product of scrap-box diving made entirely of pieces of paracord and other synthetic materials.
The framing cord is black polyester with a brown plastic button. The infill cords are back paracord, blue nylon, some hand dyed blue nylon (the lighter color), a piece of green nylon from REI and a center of olive drab green.

Synthetics seem to be very compressible as in this bracelet which was about 1 1/2" (43 mm) wide when laid out on the mold but came out only 1" (25 mm) wide.

 The colors are quite vibrant with the blue contrasting strongly with the black and green.

When these are made the cord segments are centered and the loop is positioned at the button loop ends and loose ends are gathered and tied up on the opposite end, then trimmed off. I use three or four long needles to hold everything together while the edge binding is done.

Here's another design with different colors.

I filled in the open loops with a couple of small glass beads. These loops open up as the edge binding is compressed during construction.

The construction technique is shown starting with part one of a seven part tutorial.

This bracelet is available in my Etsy shop along with more examples of this unique fiber art work.



design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

simple one button rope bracelet 2577

 This is a very simple design made with a few scraps of cord, a small plastic button, and 48" of nylon thread.

The outside cord loop is the framing cord which secures the button and forms the loop. The colored cords are the infill and can be any color or combination you like. This one is a mix of grey and green/blue which is a common color in my resource storage box a.k.a. "scrap box".

The construction technique is shown starting with part one of a seven part tutorial.

 Detail of the button and loop which shows how the cross stitching tightens the loop slightly enabling a secure but easy to open toggle closure.

A single piece of nylon thread can be used to secure the button and bind the fabric. The infill cords are doubled and the loop end placed inside the loop of the framing cord. In this example there are four cords on each side.

Here's a similar design made with black and blue synthetic materials.

 The materials are hand dyed cotton cord including some of the twisted cable cord. This adds a subtle texture alongside the smooth braided cords.

The binding process reduces the layout size about 50%. This example is about 7/8" wide.

See this design and others like it in the fiber art design section of WhatKnotShop on Etsy.

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

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