How to Make a Fish Pattern Bracelet
When crafting friendship bracelets, you can create a variety of patterns, including this two-color fish pattern. The repeating fish pattern, worked over 16 rows, incorporates a simple, yet versatile, knotting technique that can be used to create other patterns. In the end you'll have a piece of jewelry that is truly your own.
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Things You'll Need
- Scissors
- Embroidery floss (two different colors -- two skeins main color, one skein background color)
- Safety pin
- Old pillow
Instructions
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1
Cut your floss into 36-inch lengths. You'll need 11 lengths to create the fish pattern: one length in the background color, 10 lengths in the main color.
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2
Knot the 11 lengths of floss together, leaving a 1-inch tail at the top. Secure the floss to your pillow with the safety pin. The pillow will serve as your work surface to complete the bracelet. Arrange your floss with the background color on the left side of your work. Separate the lengths of floss.
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3
Work the first row of the pattern by “front knotting” the background color all the way across the piece. To work a front knot, lay the first strand of main color out flat on the work surface. Take the background color strand and lay it on top of the main color strand so that it makes a number “4.” Loop the background color underneath the main color and pull upward, making a knot at the top of the strand. Repeat for each of the remaining strands. At the end of the row, you’ll have 10 knots in the background color, and the background color strand will be on the right side of the piece.
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4
Work the second row of the pattern by “back knotting” the background color all the way across the piece. Back knots are worked right to left. To work a back knot, lay the rightmost strand of main color out flat on the work surface. Lay the background color on top of the main color strand and loop the background color underneath the main color and pull upwards, making a knot at the top of the strand. Repeat for each of the remaining strands. At the end of the row, the background color strand should be on the left hand side of the piece once again.
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5
Start row 3 on the left side of the piece. Work three front knots in the background color. Then, three back knots in the main color, followed by four front knots in the background color.
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6
Work row 4 from right to left. Back knot three in the background color; front knot two in the main color; back knot one in background color; front knot two in main color; back knot the last two in background color. The background strand should now be on the left side of the piece.
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7
Work row 5 from left to right. Front knot two in background color; back knot one in main color; front knot three in background color; back knot one in main color; front knot three in background color. The background strand will be on the right side of the piece.
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8
Work row 6 from right to left. Back knot one in the background color; front knot two in the main color; back knot three in the background color; front knot two in the main color; back knot two in the background color, ending with the background color strand on the left side of the work.
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9
Work row 7 left to right. Front knot one in the background color; back knot one in the main color; front knot five in the background color; back knot one in the main color; end by front knotting two in the background color.
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10
Work row 8 from right to left. Back knot two in the background color; front knot one in the main color; back knot five in the background color; front knot one in the main color; back knot one in the back ground color.
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11
Repeat row 7.
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12
Repeat row 8.
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13
Repeat row 6.
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14
Repeat row 5.
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15
Repeat row 4.
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16
Work row 14 from right to left. Back knot four in the background color; front knot two in the main color; back knot the last four in the background color.
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17
Work row 15 from left to right. Front knot three in the background color; back knot two in the main color; front knot five in the background color.
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18
Repeat row 4.
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19
Complete the fish pattern in rows 1 to 16. Continue to work your bracelet in pattern until you reach the length you desire. To end, knot all of the strands together and trim off the ends, leaving a 1-inch tail. Tie the two tails together to form the bracelet.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Using the pillow as a work surface is optional. Instead, you can pin your piece to your pant leg to make the project even more portable.
To prevent the edges of the bracelet from curling up, keep even tension in your knots as you work.
Begin working odd numbered rows on the left side of the piece, and even numbered rows on the right side.
