How to make a straight beginning row
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| 1 - A small bracelet 2 - A large bracelet |
as requested by Melancholy :-)
One quick and easy way to make an even, straight line at the very beginning of any bracelet would be, of course, to cut single threads and tape them down in the correct order. But it works just as nicely when you're starting with a buckle - and the first step, naturally, is to make the buckle. The tutorial can be found here: https://www.friendship-bracelets.net/tutorial.php?id=370
Depending on how many threads your bracelet has, you'll want to create a bigger/wider buckle. For any pattern with more than 40 threads it would be a wise move to make two buckles.
A small bracelet
I've chosen to make #3649, which has 18 threads. When it's done it will be 1.8 cm wide, or 0.7 in - so the buckle needs to be no longer than 3 cm (1.2 in) and I'll fold it so it forms a fairly narrow loop.
To make sure the starting row not only gives the knotted part an even beginning, but to also ensure that the buckle stays centred, I like starting with the middle knot. I've created some extra order and fanned out the threads, and organised them into groups of two, according to the thread order supplied by the pattern.
The first knot can look a little wonky, but those loose looking threads will even out as soon as more knots are added to either side. So, moving out from the centre, we'll take the adjacent pairs to make one knot on either side of the middle one.
It's still looking a little loose and messy right now, but this is about to change ;-) Since the pattern starts off with a chevron, I'll keep going with those threads I just used, until I reach the centre.
I'll do the same for the next thread - since the threads aren't exactly in the proper order, make very careful knots. The very first one often turns out a tad loose, but as of the second knot you can carefully establish nice, even tension. Just go slow and don't pull too tightly, and knot all the way down to the centre. Repeat on the other side.
That doesn't look half bad ;-) If it looks like it's turning out a bit uneven, or a bit off-centre, give the threads a gentle little tug to smooth things out. This is another reason you don't want to make super tight knots, because you've left yourself some room for gentle tweaking :-)
Repeat this with the remaining two pairs on either sides - a careful, loose knot over the first thread to not create any unnecessary strain, and even knots towards the centre. Done!
A large bracelet
If you're making a bigger pattern, the approach is pretty much the same, but you'll have to allow for a wider buckle to have room for all the threads. I chose #7580, which has 32 threads and measures approx. 3 cm (1.2 in).
Because there are so many threads, the loop will have to extend a bit wider than with the previous bracelet, and I'll make the buckle at least 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long. When pinning it down, make sure it spans about 2 cm (0.8 in). With a bracelet this size I'll cheat a little and pin it on graph paper so I can make REALLY sure it's even all the way :-)
The pattern I've chosen is made up of two separate chevrons, and uses the same number of colours and threads on both sides. So I'll start on one side of the pattern, and leave the other side for later.
I've spread out the threads in the order I'll be using them, so they're as untangled as they can be, coming from inside the buckle.
I'll start at the centre again; in this case the centre isn't only one knot, but a mini-chevron of three knots. The other threads seem to be in the way (what's the light green doing there, hanging over like that?) but that's only temporary :-)
Moving on to the next pair of threads, I'll make a very careful knot - if I pull too tightly that will just put extra strain on the other threads. Note how the purple on the right side had to go OVER the dark green, and use the light green that seemed to be at a very awkward position. By making a very gentle, and rather loose knot, I've avoided the whole thing buckling in on itself.
I'll repeat the process for the remaining two pairs, paying extra attention to the very first knots. By keeping those fairly loose you'll automatically be creating a horizontal line. (I've pinned down the centre to keep it from moving, in case anyone's wondering what that extra pin's doing there.)
The left side is done, so I'll basically do the same thing on the right side. If anything, the threads seem to be in an even bigger mess than they were on the left - light green once again is not very co-operative, and this time purples's joining in the fun as well.
But I'll be starting in the centre anyway, and once again I'll be making that small chevron consisting of three careful knots.
Using the rebellious light green and purple, I'll have to be even more careful than usual. Because the threads were in such weird positions this doesn't look nearly as neat as the left side did...
Moving on to the next pair, it's time to fix what purple tried to mess up. Note how the first purple knot on the right is slanting down and trying to ruin my horizontal line? By making the first knot with the pink just that tad looser, we're on the way of fixing that.
By the time I'm onto the final pair, we're back where we want to be - in a nice, horizontal line. Now all that's left to do is to join both sides up :-)
Editors
The original author of this tutorial is Foz .
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