Ihave always been interested in color and design. My art background, combined with my obsession for collecting beads, prompted me to open a bead store on a shoestring. It quickly

became a local success. In 1997, I sold the store in Croton-on-Hudson to move to North Carolina to join the rest of my family. I miss my customers and the creative learning environment of my store and hope to open a new store in North Carolina in the not-too-distant future.

In my entire design career, nothing has given me more gratification than designing wearable art for my customers. The work of Isha Elafi, a citizen of Bali, inspired me to begin making macramé jewelry. I always use the best quality materials in my mac-ramé jewelry, including sterling silver, semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, lampwork beads, and vin-tage buttons.

A berry nice bracelet

Knot an elegant bracelet with silver and gemstones

by Linnea Lockwood Gambino

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©2003 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

stepbystepThis complex-looking bracelet uses only three knots. In order to keep track of where you are in terms of design and length and to hold the cord at a consistent angle, it’s helpful to work on a macramé board with measured grid lines. (Editor’s note: we couldn’t find such a board in our local craft shops, so we used the cardboard core from a fabric bolt to which we taped gridded paper.) Start knotting at the button end of the bracelet. The pattern below makes a bracelet that will fit a 7-in. (18cm) wrist.

If you have trouble stringing some of the beads, treat the last inch or so (2.5cm) of the cord with 5-second nail glue. When the glue is dry, cut the end of the cord at a steep angle. The glue turns the cord into its own needle.

getting started1 Cut two 1-yd. (.9m) lengths of the light and medium cords and one of the dark cord.2 Tie each cord to the shank of the but-ton with a lark’s head knot (figure 1) so the ends are even. You’ll have 10 half-yard cords. Position them on the button light, medium, dark, medium, and light and attach the button to the knotting board with a T-pin (photo a).3 To start knotting, count in from the right-hand side four cords and pin them to the side. 4 Use the fifth cord from the right (dark) for the first series of knots. Hold this cord out to the left at about a 45 degree angle (this is the bearing cord) and make a double half hitch around it with the fifth cord from the left-hand edge (figure 2 and photo b). Repeat this step, tying a double half hitch around the same bearing cord with each subsequent cord to the left. Hold the bearing cord under tension at the angle in the direction that you want the knots to form. This will produce an angled, chevron, pattern with the center knot further back than the edge knot. This is row 1 (photo c).5 After completing the first row, count over to the sixth cord from the left. Pin the 5 left-hand cords out of the way. Use the sixth as the bearing cord, knotting

around it with each subsequent cord to the right (photo d).6 Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have knotted 8 rows on each side (the light cords will be in the center – photo e). For a wrist that’s smaller or larger than 7 in., decrease or increase the number of rows in this section and the correspond-ing end section.

beading the side sectionThe two center cords will always be the same color when you add beads. 1 String a square Bali bead on the two middle (light) cords. String a small Bali spacer on each of the edge cords (photo f). Slide the beads snugly against the knotting. 2 Pin right below the left-hand small Bali spacer to hold the bead in place. The cord that holds this bead is now the bearing cord. Tie double half hitches around it with all the cords, working to the center. Repeat on the other side, knotting the first bearing cord around the second to close the center (photo g).

(Editor’s note, photos g-j show the steps described but at the other end of the bracelet.)3 Add a second row from the right-hand edge to the center and stop. Then knot the second row from the left-hand edge. Continue past the center. Stop when you reach the last two cords. 4 Before completing the last two knots, string a daisy spacer, a 60 seed bead, and a daisy on the next-to-last cord. String a 4mm stone, a dangle, and a stone on the last cord (photo h). Push the beads up snugly and finish knotting across to the right (photo i).5 To complete the X pattern, set the first 5 cords on the right aside. Knot across to the left on the sixth cord. Stop before the last two cords and string beads as in step 4. Finish knotting to the left (photo j). Complete the section by adding a second row of knots below the first. This completes the first section of the bracelet.6 Repeat steps 1-3. Substitute the following beads in step 1: on the edge cords string a 60, a daisy, a stone, a daisy, and a 60. On the center pair of cords, string a small Bali spacer, a 6mm fire-polished bead, and a small Bali spacer.

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7 Repeat steps 4-5, substituting the fol-lowing beads: On the edge cord string a 2mm silver hex, a stone bead, a dangle, a stone, and a hex. On the next-to-last cord string only a small Bali spacer.8 Repeat steps 1-3, stringing a small Bali spacer on the edge cords. On the center pair of cords, string a large oval Bali bead.9 Repeat steps 4-5. String a small Bali spacer on the next-to-last cord. On the edge cord, string a 60, a daisy, a stone, a daisy, and a 60.

knotting the center and second halfThe center is a bit time consuming. Be patient so you get the alignment right.1 Thread the beads as follows: left edge (medium color cord) 1.5mm bead, daisy, stone, daisy, large stone dangle, daisy, stone, daisy, and 1.5mm bead. Thread cords 2 and 3 from left (medium and dark) together through a small Bali spacer, the end hole of the spacer bar, and a small Bali spacer. Cord 4 (light) lies below the spacer bar. Cords 5 and 6 (light) star spacer, stone rondelle, star spacer, the center hole of the spacer bar, star spacer, stone rondelle, star spacer. Cord 7 (light) lies below the spacer bar. String cords 8 and 9 like cords 2 and 3. Cord 10 (medium) 1.5mm bead, daisy, stone, daisy, dangle, daisy, stone, daisy, and a 1.5mm bead (photo k).2 With the beads strung, resume knot-ting, being sure to snug up the beads as you go and maintaining the color order that has been established. Knot as in steps 2-3 of “Beading the side section.” 3 Repeat steps 9 then 8 of the side section exactly.4 Repeat steps 7 then 6 exactly. 5 Repeat steps 4-5 exactly. Then repeat steps 1-3, knotting to the center rather than to the right-hand edge.6 Make two additional rows of knots below the last two rows so that you have four rows after the last set of beads.

making the buttonhole1 Separate the cords so there are five on each side.2 Use the edge two cords on the right-hand side to make square knots over the center 3 core cords (figure 3) until the

side is long enough to accommodate the button (photo l).3 Repeat step 2 on the left-hand side. Work the same number of knots on each side.4 To join the sides, working only with the center 4 cords, make a square knot with the two outer cords over the inner pair of cords.5 Use the far right cord as the bearing cord and knot over it to the center on an angle forming a V. Repeat with the far left cord, ending by knotting the cen-ter cords. Repeat this step so two rows secure the buttonhole (photo m).6 Cut the cords close to the last row of knots, leaving a 1⁄16-in. (1.5mm) tail on each cord.7 Use a cigarette lighter to singe the end

of each cord, sealing the knots. Hold the flame below and to the side of each tail until it starts to shrivel into a ball. Be careful not to get it too close or the ball will turn black.

Contact Linnea by phone (919) 345-4157 or email Linnayyah@aol.com and visit her website, Linnayyah.com.

materials• 2 yd. each 3 colors Conso, bonded jewelry twine or #8 nylon bead cord (light, medium, and dark)Bali silver beads:• 1 3-Hole spacer• 9 Daisy flower dangles or other dangles• 30 4-5mm Flat daisy spacers• 4 5mm Flat star spacers• 2 6-7mm Square beads• 8 2mm Silver hex beads• 24 3-4mm Small Bali spacers• 2 8-10mm Oval silver beadsOther beads• 1 Garnet pendant, 14-20mm long• 2 6mm Fire-polished crystals• 2 5-6mm Garnet rondelles or use glass• 20 Size 60 seed beads• 28 4mm Garnet beads• 4 1.5mm Silver beads• 1 Decorative shank buttonOptional: 5-second nail glueTools: macramé board (available on Linnea’s website), T-pins, alligator clips or small hemo-stats, cigarette lighter

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