black and white herringbone rope bracelet 1415

This is a herringbone weave design that has been doubled using a black dyed cord. The color contrast emphasizes the "V" pattern created by the over two-under two weave. This example shows the single overlap edge weave or "locked" edge as it is sometimes called. 


Doubling the weave creates a dark edge on the left where the black cord reverses direction (bight) and also on the right where the white cord is exposed.


design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

Soft Tones collection speaking quietly on Etsy

Sometimes powerful messages are delivered in Soft Tones... such as in this collection by ohzie. See more soft recycled Tees and Sweats in her shop and follow her on twitter.

Speaking of soft here is a very touchable item Apple Green Ribbon Poncho Cape made by iLE AiYE from London. See more handsome contemporary designs in her shop.

Not sure why a print titled Live Out Loud - A whimsical travel photograph got into this soft collection but the color and composition capture the spirit of southern France, um well, NICEly. See more of Irene Suchocki's work in her Etsy shop.

The featured item in this collection is a soft blue-green turks head knot sailor bracelet part of the blended colors collection in my Etsy shop.

red white and blue 1399

It's coming up on that time of year again when we all get to celebrate this experiment with democracy that began with a bunch of guys (yeah old white men...deal with it) who got together to try and figure out how to have a country organized by laws instead of fallible human beings. A radical concept that we are still trying to figure out how to operate. Yeah we got liars, cheaters, malcontents, criminals, good people, entrepreneurs, yeoman farmers, businessmen, students, stay-at-home moms, solid citizens, and everyone else too.
Happy fourth of July! Eat a brat, buy a patriotic bracelet, visit my shop.
design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

Very Lovely collection now dressing up Etsy

This Very Lovely collection was made by sparkletribe who lives right next door in Yamba, AU. Find out about Becca then visit her shop for organic cotton scarves, craft sew make supply, and vintage items.

My picks from this collection is the Patterned Notebook in Triangles. See more of Kelly's well designed cards, notebooks, and paper goodies in her shop inkwhimsy.
Back down under to Perth we go to find whitesquare and a whimsical Paper plane Brooch perfect for the irreverent day at the office. Fly we must but how? More cool stuff here...

The featured item in this collection is the red slimline rope bracelet made in a herringbone weave but so slender it can go anywhere. More colors and sizes in this design available by special request. Visit the Etsy Shop and click on "contact" to make your request.

special order for fun - teen size rope bracelets in bright colors

These fun colored rope bracelets were made in a special order for some  kids who were going to summer camp. These are made smaller than the adult sizes and all are fully adjustable so that each can be made to fit comfortably.


Left to right: Red, bright pink, green, blue-green, and blue. The material is a 100% braided cotton cord hand dyed in small batches.


Find more of these designs in the BASIC section of the Etsy Shop. If you want to special order for your group please use the conversation utility in Etsy to let me know what you need. (Click on the "contact" link on the left margin.) Special orders can take up to a week to create and ship depending on the quantity and colors ordered.
design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

Smell of the Sea collection on Etsy

You can just about taste the salt air in this Smell of the Sea collection arranged by SabiKrabi now washed up on shore at Etsy. Visit Sabina Gadzhieva's shop to find a collection of fairy-tale fantasy jewelry. Just perfect for princesses everywhere!

The Sea Glass Rock...Scottish Sea Glass Necklace reminds me of the sea glass we would find on the beaches of Rhode Island. See more of Laura's beach glass work in her shop Sophiasparkles.

Even though this item Coral Collection - Aqua Bowl - 0461 is sold you should click through to see more of Lisa Mueller's evocative and beautiful work in her shop: SassyGlassStudio. Her coral bowls and other objects all created out of glass.

The featured item in this collection is the blue-green turks head knot sailor bracelet one of several popular color combinations available in the Etsy shop. 

yellow, orange and gold cotton fiber Möbius bracelet 1400

This is another in an occasional series of experiments with creating fiber wrapped pieces. This one is made from braided cotton clothesline wrapped with cotton floss. The colors are bright canary yellow, gold, and bright tangerine orange. The clothesline is stitched together with nylon thread before wrapping to provide stability. It's three strands and they are constructed in a Möbius strip geometry out of a single piece of cord.
Size is extra large measuring 9 1/4" (234 mm) inside circumference.
design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop

Four mountain pattern inside ancient woven basket

This is a photo of one of hundreds of baskets that are on display in the Hubble Trading Post in Ganado, Arizona. Now a National Historic Site this trading post was purchased by John Lorenzo Hubble ten years after the Navajos returned from Bosque Redondo, NM in an event now known as the long walk.
This huge collection of baskets is located in the main room in the residence and in the trading post as well. Originally mounted on the walls by John Hubble then later moved to the ceiling by his daughters to save room on the walls for the numerous drawings and paintings which remain on display.
This basket depicts four symmetrical stepped shapes perhaps representing the four sacred mountains in Navajo cosmology. The optical illusion created by the pattern shows the black center core as the floor of a valley (and the deepest part of the basket) surrounded by mesas with vertical sides. This landform is a powerful and defining part of the southwest creating a strong sense of place for the descendants of the ancient people of this region.
Photographed in extremely low light with an iPhone camera. Copyright © 2011 WhatKnotShop

Turquoise Mist collection on ArtFire

Turquoise is a natural color much favored by natives of the southwest United States. Morrigan has put together a nice collection of craft items in this Turquoise Mist collection. See her marvelous photography in her ArtFire studio including Haunted Forest Path and Roaring Point.

My favorites from this collection are these awsome Crochet Earrings made by WildChildDzigns in a way cool extra large size. See more bold designs on Facebook.

At first I thought this Strings in D Minor painting was a closeup of an a blue american football but this is a sample of Elis Cooke's original art. See more of her abstract paintings in her ArtFire Shop.

The featured item in this collection is this turquoise blue herringbone turks head knot rope bracelet which is one of a series of the "double weave" designs available in the ArtFire Shop.

White House ruins in Canyon de Chelly Arizona

Regular readers may have detected a recent hiatus in posts to this blog. The reason is shown in this photo. I was in northeast Arizona for a week exploring ancient ruins and working on service projects.

At left is a view of the so called"white house" ruins in Canyon de Chelly national monument. This is the only site that can be accessed in this canyon without a paid guide. Read the Wikipedia info to find out more details.

For a guided tour you may want to ride with Ben, Adam, and Harris Teller who are the guides that operate Antelope House Tours. This family has lived in the canyon for generations and can provide both legends and facts about the canyon and the inhabitants.

Grey Day collection on Etsy

Grey Day collection by firfairy has many grey items and a touch of orange too. See if you can pick out the orange one! (just kidding)
OK so there's a lot to choose from here including the Set of 3 Yarn Wrapped Stacking Bangles  from mysticfibers where you can find lots more soft bangles in a bright array of colors.
Four pears - Black and White Photography by honeytree captures the texture of the fruit. See more dreamy subtle color work in her shop.
Ramonawest offers a super comfortable Grey Cashmere V Neck Sweater among other vintage fare for modern wear.

The featured item in this grey series is the white & grey turks head knot sailor bracelet shown here in the narrow three part braid. See other designs like this in the blended colors section of the Etsy shop.

ecru and teal two button cuff 1393

This design )strata( cotton cuff is made entirely out of natural and hand dyed cotton cable cord. The colors selected are white, off white, teal, and grey-green.  A pair of green plastic buttons and loops hold this cuff closed. As you can see the loops are positioned more than half way around the cuff creating a diagonal seam. The fabric is made by binding the cord strands together with strong but elastic nylon thread. This compresses the cords as the thread is tensioned which stiffens the material enabling the distinctive organic shape to appear. The twisted cords create the ribbed appearance of the fabric. 

This piece measures about 8" (203 mm) inside circumference when closed and about 2" (52 mm) wide. This cuff will change shape when you put it on and if you get it wet it will shrink somewhat as it is made from cotton. 


See this unique cuff and a collection of similar designs in the design section of the Etsy shop. See a much larger collection in the design section of the Zibbet shop.


design and photographs © copyright 2011 WhatKnotShop