Beginning the weave - String weave tapestry bracelet tutorial part 4

Part 4: Beginning the weave

The pattern is a so called "plain weave" which is the simplest over one - under one sequence.

Take a length of the thin dyed weft string and double it through another tapestry needle. I use an oversize needle for ease of handling. You may also use a piece cardboard as a shuttle instead of the needle.

Start at the loop end of the warp cords. Leave 1/2" open loop to allow for the button.

Draw the doubled string through the warp cords with a simple over-under pattern. Use the needle to help separate the warp strands as you work back and forth.

Turn the doubled cords over "ribbon style" at the edge keeping them parallel. Don't allow the string to cross over when you make the turn.

(Can you see the bad crossover in this photo?)

Keeping the pair of string (weft) cords aligned will make the finished work look nice and neat.

Use the simple over-under pattern as before and pull the slack through the weave and pack the weft together.

Initially the weave may be somewhat loose and appear disorganized. Leave a 6" piece on the end, we will use this later to terminate the weave.

Continue to work the paired weft string ribbon-style back and forth through the thicker warp strands. This shows the correct alignment of the paired weft strings.

After each pass firm up the tension on the weft by gently pulling the loose end. The spacing will be as shown with the crossover between the warp strands slightly smaller than the diameter of the warp strands themselves.

You may use the pliers or the tapestry needle to compress or pack the weave after each pass.

Getting an even tension takes practice...

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design, photos, and descriptions copyright 2017

making small segments of cordage on a bench top rope machine part 1

This is a small rope machine built from hardware store parts. This view shows the four strand winders on the left and the traveller on the right with yarns rigged and ready.

This demonstration shows a 4 x 2 setup. Four (4) strands of two (2) yarns each.

The machine is set up with dark cotton yarn in preparation for creating a short segment of twisted cotton cordage.

 In this closeup view the four rotating hooks engage the yarn loops. The device on the left is a gang-crank that turns each of rotating hooks once for each turn of the crank a 1:1 ratio.

Once the yarns are placed the lengths are equalized so all four pairs are at the same initial tension. The pairs are looped around all the hooks so they can be adjusted easily.

Then the gang crank is turned several hundred times with a few pauses to keep the twisted pairs separated.

During the initial twist the yarn's length is naturally reduced by the twisting action. The traveler takes up the slack with a counterweight holding tension on the yarn as it is twisted.

The yarn pairs are now tightly twisted (+300 turns) together and the rope is ready to be made.

 On the other end is the traveller which is a single hook on a rotating spindle with another crank. This is the business end where the cordage is twisted into shape.

The initial twist has been completed and we are ready to wind.

The ball shaped object on the left is a separator made from a large cork (taken from a bottle of tequila) with a pattern of guide grooves. Each of the four yarns runs in it's own groove as the traveller takes up the wind.

 Another view showing progress. As the traveller crank is turned the separator retreats down the length of the yarns and the rope is formed.

The traveller is riding in the white track (borrowed from a bi-fold door) as the counterweight holds tension on the system.

The separator is now at the end of the wind next to the four hooks. The four pairs of yarns are almost fully wound up into the cordage.

The separator is disengaged and the rope is almost complete. A piece of tape will be applied to secure the four parts and prevent unraveling.

See what cool stuff this machine can produce in the kits+supplies section of the ETSY shop.

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design and photographs copyright 2016 George Hutchinson

even more even part turks head knot bracelets 3514

Four part rope bracelets are the next order of complexity up from the traditional three part sailor bracelets and they offer a special design opportunity. The center overlap creates a place to run a colored accent cord through the void in the weave. Because the geometry of the knot has even parts the overlap falls in the actual center not to one side or the other.

Here are some other colors in this same design.
Here is the tutorial showing how to tie four part bracelets.

 15x4x2 weave design with tangerine (a popular color!)

7 1/2" (191 mm) circumference a convenient size for many people

 Purple - mysterious just like the endless knot pattern...

Note that these are 15 bight designs. If you tie an 11 bight design as shown in the tutorial your bracelet will come out smaller. If you increase to 19 bights it will be larger.

Quiz: why does the bight count increase by 4 each time?

 Scarlet - "red is best" and popular!

Almost any color can be used to accent the basic off-white bracelet.

Navy - a traditional favorite color for anything nautical

Available here

These and other unique bracelets can be found online WhatKnotShop on ETSY


design and photographs © copyright 2015 WhatKnotShop

Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 7 Trim off loose ends

 Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 7: Trim off loose ends



Once the cords ends have been bound together with the thread you can trim off the loose ends. I like to use a pair of diagonal cutters. This tool can be found at hardware stores.

View the ready-to-wear collection here

Trim the cords as close to the edge as possible.

Work around the edge removing the loose ends.

And you are complete!





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design and photographs © copyright 2014 WhatKnotShop

Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 6 Bind cord ends

 Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 6: Bind cord ends.

Slide the bracelet off the mold. It should have enough stiffness to hold it's shape while you finish it off.


View the ready-to-wear collection here

 Line up the cords using the smooth nose pliers. If there are any loose or slack loops re-work the tension to get everything even.

 Prepare a needle and nylon thread. You will need about 72" length of thread. In this example the thread has been doubled through the needle creating a strong four-ply thread.

You may also use a pair of regular pliers to place the needle through the cords.

 Align the cords you buried and sew them together with the needle and thread. Make three or four passes to get the thread on the same side of the cord.

Repeat this process on all the groups of buried cords. The more colors you use the more of these groups you will have.

Tie off the threads with square knots.





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design and photographs © copyright 2014 WhatKnotShop

Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 5 Remove slack from the warp cords

Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 5
Remove slack from the warp cords

The warp cords are the dark blue and teal cords that run around the circumference of bracelet.

Using the round nose pliers grab the teal cord somewhere near the center and pull a small loop snug. Move to the next loop and draw the cord through adding an even, firm tension each time.

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Continue working the loop around the mold. Gradually remove the slack as you move around the mold until you reach the end. Keep an even but firm tension on each loop as you pull it through.

As you go the slack loop will grow in size.

Do not over tighten.

Draw the slack through the buried end. Go back to your starting point near the center and work the teal cord the opposite direction to the other end.

You will notice the loops that are loose and those that are firm.

Repeat this process with the blue cord. Work both ends from the middle until the tension is even around the entire circumference

Draw the slack through both ends. When complete the bracelet will have some shape and all the cords will be evenly tensioned.




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design and photographs © copyright 2014 WhatKnotShop

Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 4 Remove slack from the weft cord

Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 4:
Remove slack from the weft cord

We'll start by tightening up the white weft cord that was placed first. Use the round nose pliers like the ones shown in the photo to grab the cords. Much easier than trying to use fingers….

Round nose pliers have no serrations so they don't tear the surface of the cord. Find them at a craft supply store.

View the ready-to-wear collection here

Rotate the mold and find the loop opposite the loose ends. Grab the loop with the pliers and gently tighten.

Work the cord from the center to the ends. Pull just enough tension to settle the colored warp cords together. Don't over-tighten at this point.

As you work around the white cord loops will pull free of the rubber bands.

Continue around until the slack reaches the end. Pull the cord end through and leave the tail hanging.

Then start again in the center and work the other way.

You will end up with two long tails of white cord. Leave them under the rubber bands for now, don't trim them off yet.

The bracelet will be loose on the mold but should stay put with the tail ends holding it in place.

This shows the rather loose weave of 8 loops. As discussed before you can make 10, 12, or 14 loops on your mold . The tightening technique is the same for all of them.



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design and photographs © copyright 2014 WhatKnotShop

Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 3 Layout the second warp cord

Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 3
Layout the second warp cord

Place the fid on the end of the other colored warp cord.

If you don't have a fid, wrap tape around the end of the cord to form a stiff end.

In this example the second warp cord is a teal blue.

View the ready-to-wear collection here

Find the center of the first group of warp cords and create a small space.

Place the end of the second warp cord under the white cord as shown. Place in an over-under alternating pattern. Where the first warp cord is "over" place the second cord "under" the weft cord as shown.

Here you can see the weave as it develops with the opposite over-under moves.

Keep going around the PVC mold placing the cord under and over as before -  but always opposite the first warp cord.

Bury the ends as you did before by placing the cord ends through the gaps parallel to the white cord.

Draw the loop through but don't over-tighten.

Here's what the finished weave will look like.

Don't worry if your colored cords are too short or two long, just place them and bury the ends. You may use additional cords to fill out the weave.

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design and photographs © copyright 2014 WhatKnotShop

Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 2 Layout the first warp cord

Making a basket weave rope bracelet Part 2:
Layout the first warp cord


Place the fid on the end of one of the colored cord pieces. This will be the first warp cord.

If you don't have a fid, wrap tape around the end of the warp cord to stiffen the end of the cord so you can feed it through the gaps.

View the ready-to-wear collection here

 Place the cord 90 degrees to the white weft cord in an over-under alternating pattern as shown. Note the white cord ends are paired and treated as a single cord.


Continue around the PVC mold placing the cord parallel to the original cord until you reach the end. Leave a 1" tail.

When you get near the end place the 1" tail of the warp cord under the running weft cord right next to one of the white cords as shown.

Tape up the other end of the warp cord so it can pass through the gaps.


Go back to the other end and resume placing the warp cord in the same over-under pattern keeping exactly parallel to the original path of the cord.

When you get to the end place the running cord under the weave as shown. Leave it relaxed  for now.



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design and photographs © copyright 2014 WhatKnotShop

Making a basket weave rope bracelet visual tutorial overview 3237

 You can make this basket weave rope bracelet like this out of cord segments using a few simple tools.

The process is illustrated in the step-by-step instructions under each section listed below.

Simply click on the links to see the details of each step.

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design and photographs © copyright 2014 WhatKnotShop

Part 1: Materials, tools, and layout

Part 2: Layout the first warp cord

Part 3: Layout the second warp cord.

Part 4: Remove slack from the weft cord

Part 5: Remove slack from the warp cords

Part 6: Bind cord ends

Part 7: Trim off loose ends