lighthouse red rope bracelet 2822

 Sometimes the simplest thing is the strongest design like for example this lighthouse red turks head knot bracelet made from 3 mm cord.

The weave design is a 12 bight double diamond pattern so the work up process produces a nice symmetrical shape without having to compensate for cord diameter. This example is a "small" size 6 3/4" (172 mm) inside diameter. Like most of these designs this one can stretch out to about  7 1/2"

read about how to measure your hand for size

 The five part weave is wider and is further emphasized by the three strands of cord  resulting in a full 1 1/2" (37 mm) width.

To find out more about knot terminology here



This cord material is a smooth braided cotton product that takes the dye evenly and retains it's soft texture when dried out.

More color choices are available in the solid color section of my Etsy shop.

Most colors can be produced in small medium and large sizes by request.




design and photographs © copyright 2013 WhatKnotShop

green rope bracelet 1681

 I end up with a lot of shorter pieces of cord when making larger more complex weave designs so every now and then just grab the scrap basket and see what's in it.

These are the simplest three part rope bracelets. Everyone knows how to make them, ok well a lot of people do and there are a number of online tutorials available for the do-it-yourselfers.

This is a nice bright green color hand dyed 3 mm soft cotton cord made into a 14 bight bracelet.

My give-away basket gets full over the winter and by the time the next block party rolls around there are a lot of these in different colors and sizes.

Find this one listed in the Etsy shop, several more in the ArtFire shop, and you can get lost in the huge selection available in my Zibbet shop.

I will combine product from these venues for reduced shipping if you contact me and ask...

design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

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

traditional five part rope bracelet design - small size 1198

Made with a smaller diameter cord this is one of the most popular weave designs in the online venues. As you can see this bracelet is a smaller size (on advice from one of my favorite customers!) and will fit younger teens quite nicely. Color is natural white. Ends are secured by stitching just like all the items in my shops, and the size measures just 7" (178 mm) inside circumference.
Available here


Design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

WhatKnotShop shopping guide part one

Classic whites - This section has the classics including the well known three part bracelet plus a wide variety of other unusual weave designs. All are made with white  cord available in both 100% cotton and synthetics. 
Shop for classic white rope bracelets on Etsy   <-ankle bracelets here too!
Shop for classic white rope bracelets on Zibbet <--unique designs here

 Basic black - Self explanatory. If you don't find the size or design you want, check the other two shops.


Shop basic black on Etsy
Shop basic black on Zibbet  <--beaded black turks head here

Solid colors - This section contains bracelets that are all made from a single color cord. Weave designs vary from the plain weave (over-under) to the herringbone weave (over two - under two). Both narrow and wide turks heads can be found here.


Shop solid color bracelets on Artfire   <--lots of herringbone weave bracelets here
Shop solid color rope bracelets on Etsy
Shop solid color bracelets on Zibbet

Mixed colors - Here's where the fun combinations live. Find cool combinations of blue & white, grey & white, and brighter oranges, yellow, reds and greens combined with contrasting whites, grays sometimes other surprising combos. The biggest collection is on the Zibbet site so if you want something special check this out.


Shop for blended color turks heads on ArtFire
Shop for blended color turks heads on Etsy 
Shop for blended color turks heads on Zibbet

white herringbone rope bracelet 948

One of the advantages to the double overlap herringbone weave is that the bracelets have a lot more inherent stretch than the simple plain weave pattern. For example this design made in 1/8" cotton cord is able to stretch from a relaxed 7 1/2" circumference to about 8 1/4". This stretch-ability makes it easier to get a nice snug fit without having to work up an adjustable bracelet and has the added advantage of being removable.

The material is a 100% cotton braided cord made by T. W. Evans cordage in Cranston, RI.

If you like this design you may also be interested in these herringbone weave designs:
 Narrow design in white synthetic  click here

 Navy blue in hand dyed cotton  click here

 or this colorful set that I use for my shop avatar  click here 

of course there are a number of other herringbone weave designs and colors:
 Herringbone designs on  Zibbet
 Herringbone designs on  ArtFire
 Herringbone designs on  Etsy

design and photographs copyright 2010 WhatKnotShop

back to basics white cotton rope bracelet 904

Classic cotton rope bracelet made with a modified herringbone weave design in heavy white cotton cable cord.


The single pass weave reveals the beauty of the over-two under-two herringbone pattern. The bights are single overlaps which makes the edge of the knot more tapered.


Size is a tight 8" (203 mm) circumference.

This is about 1" (25 mm) wide with the loose ends secured and trimmed.


You may also be interested in this design in cotton cord click here
More herringbone weave designs in color click here




design and photographs copyright 2010 WhatKnotShop

blue to green herringbone rope bracelet collection

Traditional herringbone pattern weave design in five new colors.





Sizes are  "medium" measuring 8" (203 mm) inside circumference. As with all bracelets of this design there is some stretch owing to the double overlap weave pattern.

Dark ocean blue     
Blue-green          
Skye blue (light)    
Skye blue            
Turquoise          
Copper green

Solid color rope bracelets are available here if you don't see the design you like please make a request. Keeping all these in-stock not possible BUT they can be custom made just for you in a few days.

All are hand made of hand dyed cotton and cotton-polyester blend cords. The loose ends are stitched to prevent unraveling and then trimmed off. All will shrink somewhat when wet.

Illustrated instructions on how to make a herringbone weave bracelet like these can be found
      here

design and photographs copyright 2010 WhatKnotShop

classic wide weave turks head knot sailor bracelet 839

Classic cotton cord materials are made into a classic design plain weave turks head bracelet 9 parts by 22 bights. This one is a shrink to fit cotton in a bright white color.

The weave is loose and flexible to fit over your hand.

find this and other designs in the online shops:

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatKnotShop
ArtFire: http://www.artfire.com/users/WhatKnotShop
Zibbet: http://www.zibbet.com/WhatKnotShop


design and photographs copyright 2010 WhatKnotShop

turquoise and sky rope bracelet 843

Blue and green together are an almost irresistible combination of colors. Maybe it's the affinity we feel with the warm oceans.


Here's a combination of turquoise and medium blue that reminds me of summer.


Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatKnotShop

End stitching the cords is something that holds the bracelet together and prevents unraveling. This end stitching is standard on all non adjustable bracelets sold in the online venues.


See the little white thread tails? That's the end stitching. It's done with 4 ply waxed nylon thread. Look for the end stitching tail on rope bracelets made by WhatKnotShop


design and photographs copyright 2010 WhatKnotShop

custom work for kids 816

Every now and then I receive a request for a custom piece for a younger person. I like making these for kids as it continues the tradition of having something cool and special that is yours alone.

This is a special request for someone who was passionate about purple but needed a smaller size than was offered in the online shop.

I had a bit of the purple cord remaining from the original dye batch which was long enough to make this 12 x 5 x 3 double diamond design.

So don't be shy about asking for a child sized version of work that is listed in the online shops. Most of the pieces offered can be made in smaller sizes that will fit younger kids as well as tweens.

Measure according to this guide then visit any one of these online shops to look over the selections, and contact me if you would like a special order made to fit a special child.

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatKnotShop
ArtFire: http://www.artfire.com/users/WhatKnotShop
Zibbet: http://www.zibbet.com/WhatKnotShop

red white blue turks head knot sailor bracelet 735

Red White and Blue - colors of patriotism for the USA and 27 other countries around the world. Can you name a few? (Click here for a hint!)

Well France and England are obvious as is Australia. How about Iceland or Thailand or Russia?

Yep. All of these places use the same color scheme in their national flags. It's a classic and works well for this custom made bracelet too.

To order yours visit one of the online shops:
http://www.artfire.com/users/WhatKnotShop
http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatKnotShop
www.zibbet.com/WhatKnotShop

grey and white double diamond turks head knot bracelet

Working with the traditional twisted cotton cord and adding some subtle color creates this grey and white classic design.

The cord is tightly twisted and holds it's shape nicely.

The weave is a 17 bight double diamond pattern.

You can see the cut off ends where they are trimmed after the nylon stitching is complete. This stitching holds the loose ends secure and prevents them from coming out of the knot and unravelling.

Any of the turks head bracelets can be supplied with loose ends for those of you who would like to make your own adjustments.

All you have to do is ask!

This one is on the small side of "medium" measuring 6 7/8" inside circumference.

Once you squeeze this on it will tend to shrink and fade a little bit.

Bleach is a really bad idea for any of the hand dyed pieces on this blog or in the Etsy shop. Bleach will fade the color of the dyed cord. So will swimming pools that are full of chlorine.

check your slip-on size click here then select your favorite from one of these three online shops:

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatKnotShop
ArtFire: http://www.artfire.com/users/WhatKnotShop
Zibbet: http://www.zibbet.com/WhatKnotShop


Design and photos copyright 2009 WhatKnotShop

Part 6: finishing the weave

Here the cord has been inserted in to the wooden fid. This makes the process of threading the over-under pattern easier. As the slack is pulled through the standing parts be sure to remove the twist each time.

bulk cord in white and hand dyed colors available here

Same pattern with the fid as before, here we see the 11th part being placed in the 13 part design.

Cord is pulled through and parallel to the weave.

Here the cord is doubled and a larger gauge fid is used to manage the longer cord through the multiple weaves of the expanding knot.

Keeping the slack cord tangle free is important.

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Figuring the fit-how to pick a size thats right for you

Picking a size for a turks head knot bracelet is different than for an ordinary clasp bracelets. Rope bracelets do not have toggle or button closure but are a continuous weave or circular braid that has no beginning or ending. This design makes turks head bracelets especially appealing but requires consideration of the size when purchasing. Since it is impossible to try on for size over the web a bit of measuring must be done. In order to obtain the correct size several factors must be considered:

Wrist size:

This is the circumference of your wrist measured with some clearance for comfort. It can also be considered the final size you want to have with the bracelet in place. Many web sites offer wrist sizing guidance based on age. You can take a direct measurement using an ordinary cloth tape measure.

Slip-on size:

This is the measurement taken at the fattest part of your hand with your thumb squeezed tightly against your smallest finger. This size is usually somewhat larger than your wrist size, sometimes by as much as one or two inches. Slip-on size is shown in all the product offerings at the WhatKnotShop online shops.

Nominal Sizing:

Here is a guide to help you understand the nominal sizing descriptions:

https://whatknotnow.blogspot.com/2010/01/nominal-sizes.html

Desired fit:

This is an individual determination. You may want a snug fit where the bracelet size is slightly larger than your wrist size, you may want a loose fit where the bracelet can slip on and off easily, or you may want something in between. 

For a loose fit imply select a “slip-on” size that is the same or larger than your measured slip-on size.
 
Most of the bracelets will stretch somewhat and most people's hands can be squeezed a little bit so you can pick a slip-on size that is the same or slightly smaller than your measurement and squeeze into the bracelet.

To get a snug fit you should pick a tight slip-on size and then use one or both of these two strategies:

Shrinkage: Many of the offerings in the WhatKnotShop online shops are made of cotton. Some are made from hand-dyed cotton alone or in combination with natural cotton cord. Check the materials listing to find out. Cotton will tend to shrink when wet. The hand dyed cord has been previously wetted during the dying process and will therefore shrink somewhat less than the all natural white cotton. Shrinkage is usually about 10% for natural cotton cord. Repeated wetting can cause more shrinkage as the cotton fibers expand.  For many people a tight "slip-on" size for a cotton bracelet will result in a comfortable fit after the material has relaxed to it's final shape. 

Synthetics will not shrink as much as cotton and will tend to hold the same size over time. Read the product descriptions carefully to find out how much "give" is built into each bracelet. Some are loose and will have considerable "give", others are worked up to a tight shape and will have very little "give".

If you want a nylon bracelet in a reduced circumference from the "slip-on" size you will need to pull some slack from the knot. Read on...

Adjustment:
A few of the offerings in the WhatKnotShop online shops are labeled “adjustable”. This means that the bracelet has been fully completed but has not been tied off or worked up to the smallest possible circumference. Adjustable bracelets enables the buyer to adjust the final size of the bracelet to a comfortable fit by removing the excess slack in the knot. This is known as “working up” the knot to it’s final shape. This link describes how to "work up" a turks head bracelet: https://whatknotnow.blogspot.com/2010/01/working-up-basic-turks-head-bracelet-to.html

This process can take some time as it involves pulling loops of cord around the weave of the knot in a progressive pattern until the slack comes out in one of the two loose ends. Loose made cotton bracelets can be worked up by this method to fit over a large hand and then fitted to a skinny wrist. This is the only practical way to get a custom fit for for a bracelet made with nylon or polyester material.

Visit the online shops to see what is available in your size:

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatKnotShop

If you don't find a pre-made design in your size please make a custom request! Due to the variety of designs not all sizes are stocked but most can be made within a very short time.