Free tool · friendship bracelets

Friendship bracelet name pattern maker.

Type a name and your wrist size and get an alpha pattern: every row written out knot by knot, the knots of each colour counted, and how long to cut the strings. No sign-up.

  • The strings, worked out. MIA on a 16 cm wrist is 9 base strings of 40 cm, and 710 background and 235 letter knots. The tool says how much of each colour you'll use and whether one skein is enough.
  • Every row written out. → rows are forward knots from the left, ← rows backward knots from the right; each row lists its colours in the order you tie them.
  • It reads the right way round. The tool turns the pattern as you'll wear it and checks the name reads correctly, not mirrored or upside down.
  • Your own knots. Knot 10 knots, measure, and the string lengths follow your hands, not an average.

Purlgrid · alpha friendship bracelet · purlgrid.com/tools/friendship-bracelet-pattern-maker/

Capitals A–Z, 0–9, hyphen, full stop and apostrophe.

  • Bracelet9 base strings wide, 105 rows · about 15 cm (6 in) of knotting at 7 rows per cm · “MIA” 5 times
  • Cut9 base strings of 40 cm (15.75 in) each, any colour: they only show in the ties.
  • background710 knots · uses about 7.7 m (8.4 yd) · one skein is enough710 × 0.95 cm + 235 × 0.3 cm carried + 2 × 10 cm ends
  • letters235 knots · uses about 4.6 m (5 yd) · one skein is enough235 × 0.95 cm + 710 × 0.3 cm carried + 2 × 10 cm ends
  • Checked6 checks passed: the written rows rebuild every knot, and the bracelet reads “MIA” when worn.
Your wrist

The knotted part is your wrist minus the gap; the ties close it.

Letters

Background on each side

Name

Colours

Edge line

Your knots (optional)

Knot 10 rows of any alpha and measure. Empty: 7 rows per cm (about 18 per inch), one knotter's measurement.

Using 0.95 cm per knot, a knotters' rule of thumb.

The pattern

1→←23→←45→←67→←89→←1011→←1213→←1415→←1617→←1819→←2021→←2223→←2425→←2627→←2829→←3031→←3233→←3435→←3637→←3839→←40rows 41–8041→←4243→←4445→←4647→←4849→←5051→←5253→←5455→←5657→←5859→←6061→←6263→←6465→←6667→←6869→←7071→←7273→←7475→←7677→←7879→←80rows 81–10581→←8283→←8485→←8687→←8889→←9091→←9293→←9495→←9697→←9899→←100101→←102103→←104105→

Each column is a base string, each square one knot in that colour. Row 1 is the top; the numbers sit on the side where each row starts.

Every row, knot by knot (105 rows)

A = background, B = letters. → rows: forward knots from the left · ← rows: backward knots from the right. Numbers are knots, in the order you tie them.

  1. Row 1 → forward 9 A
  2. Row 2 ← backward 9 A
  3. Row 3 → forward 9 A
  4. Row 4 ← backward 9 A
  5. Row 5 → forward 9 A
  6. Row 6 ← backward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  7. Row 7 → forward 6 A, 1 B, 2 A
  8. Row 8 ← backward 3 A, 2 B, 4 A
  9. Row 9 → forward 6 A, 1 B, 2 A
  10. Row 10 ← backward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  11. Row 11 → forward 9 A
  12. Row 12 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 5 A, 1 B, 1 A
  13. Row 13 → forward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  14. Row 14 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 5 A, 1 B, 1 A
  15. Row 15 → forward 9 A
  16. Row 16 ← backward 2 A, 6 B, 1 A
  17. Row 17 → forward 4 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 1 A
  18. Row 18 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 4 A
  19. Row 19 → forward 4 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 1 A
  20. Row 20 ← backward 2 A, 6 B, 1 A
  21. Row 21 → forward 9 A
  22. Row 22 ← backward 9 A
  23. Row 23 → forward 9 A
  24. Row 24 ← backward 9 A
  25. Row 25 → forward 9 A
  26. Row 26 ← backward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  27. Row 27 → forward 6 A, 1 B, 2 A
  28. Row 28 ← backward 3 A, 2 B, 4 A
  29. Row 29 → forward 6 A, 1 B, 2 A
  30. Row 30 ← backward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  31. Row 31 → forward 9 A
  32. Row 32 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 5 A, 1 B, 1 A
  33. Row 33 → forward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  34. Row 34 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 5 A, 1 B, 1 A
  35. Row 35 → forward 9 A
  36. Row 36 ← backward 2 A, 6 B, 1 A
  37. Row 37 → forward 4 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 1 A
  38. Row 38 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 4 A
  39. Row 39 → forward 4 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 1 A
  40. Row 40 ← backward 2 A, 6 B, 1 A
  41. Row 41 → forward 9 A
  42. Row 42 ← backward 9 A
  43. Row 43 → forward 9 A
  44. Row 44 ← backward 9 A
  45. Row 45 → forward 9 A
  46. Row 46 ← backward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  47. Row 47 → forward 6 A, 1 B, 2 A
  48. Row 48 ← backward 3 A, 2 B, 4 A
  49. Row 49 → forward 6 A, 1 B, 2 A
  50. Row 50 ← backward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  51. Row 51 → forward 9 A
  52. Row 52 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 5 A, 1 B, 1 A
  53. Row 53 → forward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  54. Row 54 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 5 A, 1 B, 1 A
  55. Row 55 → forward 9 A
  56. Row 56 ← backward 2 A, 6 B, 1 A
  57. Row 57 → forward 4 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 1 A
  58. Row 58 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 4 A
  59. Row 59 → forward 4 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 1 A
  60. Row 60 ← backward 2 A, 6 B, 1 A
  61. Row 61 → forward 9 A
  62. Row 62 ← backward 9 A
  63. Row 63 → forward 9 A
  64. Row 64 ← backward 9 A
  65. Row 65 → forward 9 A
  66. Row 66 ← backward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  67. Row 67 → forward 6 A, 1 B, 2 A
  68. Row 68 ← backward 3 A, 2 B, 4 A
  69. Row 69 → forward 6 A, 1 B, 2 A
  70. Row 70 ← backward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  71. Row 71 → forward 9 A
  72. Row 72 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 5 A, 1 B, 1 A
  73. Row 73 → forward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  74. Row 74 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 5 A, 1 B, 1 A
  75. Row 75 → forward 9 A
  76. Row 76 ← backward 2 A, 6 B, 1 A
  77. Row 77 → forward 4 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 1 A
  78. Row 78 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 4 A
  79. Row 79 → forward 4 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 1 A
  80. Row 80 ← backward 2 A, 6 B, 1 A
  81. Row 81 → forward 9 A
  82. Row 82 ← backward 9 A
  83. Row 83 → forward 9 A
  84. Row 84 ← backward 9 A
  85. Row 85 → forward 9 A
  86. Row 86 ← backward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  87. Row 87 → forward 6 A, 1 B, 2 A
  88. Row 88 ← backward 3 A, 2 B, 4 A
  89. Row 89 → forward 6 A, 1 B, 2 A
  90. Row 90 ← backward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  91. Row 91 → forward 9 A
  92. Row 92 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 5 A, 1 B, 1 A
  93. Row 93 → forward 1 A, 7 B, 1 A
  94. Row 94 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 5 A, 1 B, 1 A
  95. Row 95 → forward 9 A
  96. Row 96 ← backward 2 A, 6 B, 1 A
  97. Row 97 → forward 4 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 1 A
  98. Row 98 ← backward 1 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 4 A
  99. Row 99 → forward 4 A, 1 B, 2 A, 1 B, 1 A
  100. Row 100 ← backward 2 A, 6 B, 1 A
  101. Row 101 → forward 9 A
  102. Row 102 ← backward 9 A
  103. Row 103 → forward 9 A
  104. Row 104 ← backward 9 A
  105. Row 105 → forward 9 A

Checked

  • The name fits 5 times in 105 rows, 1 knot of background on each side
  • The 105 written rows, read on their own, rebuild every knot of the pattern
  • Every row has exactly 9 knots, one on each base string
  • Rows alternate: forward knots left to right, backward knots right to left
  • 945 knots in all = 9 base strings × 105 rows
  • Held with row 1 on the left, the bracelet reads “MIA”, not mirrored or upside down

How an alpha works

Base strings and knotting strings.

An alpha bracelet has two kinds of string. The base strings hang straight down and never show except in the ties, so they can be any colour. The knotting strings make every knot, and each square of the pattern is one knot in the colour of the string that tied it.

Row 1 is at the top. On → rows, work forward knots from the left across every base string; on ← rows, backward knots from the right. When the colour changes, tie the next knot with that colour's string and lay the other one behind. MIA in tall letters is 9 base strings wide: 7 for the letters and 1 of background on each side.

Hold the finished bracelet with row 1 on the left and the name reads from left to right. In the pattern the letters lie on their side, with their tops towards the right.

String lengths

How long to cut the strings.

Base strings don't get shorter as you knot, so cut them to the knotted length plus a tie at each end and a little extra: (knotted length + 2 × 10 cm) + 10%. Knotting strings are used up by every knot. The tool counts the knots of each colour in your pattern and allows 0.95 cm for each knot and 0.3 cm for each square the string is carried past, plus 10 cm at each end. Many knotters keep these on the skein and cut as they go; the count tells you if one 8 m skein is enough.

WristRowsBase stringsBackground knotsBackground stringLetter knotsLetter string
14 cm5.5 in919 × 40 cm631≈ 6.8 m188≈ 3.9 m
16 cm6.3 in1059 × 40 cm710≈ 7.7 m235≈ 4.6 m
18 cm7.1 in1199 × 45 cm789≈ 8.5 m282≈ 5.2 m

For MIA in tall letters, repeated, at 7 rows per cm. The 0.95 cm and 0.3 cm figures are a knotters' rule of thumb (friendship-bracelets.net forum), and 7 rows per cm is one knotter's measurement (BraceletBook forum). Thick thread and tight hands change both, so measure your own above.

Questions

Before you start knotting.

How many strings for a name bracelet?

In tall letters, 9 base strings with one knot of background on each side; in small letters, 7. Then one knotting string for each colour, so a two-colour name is 9 + 2 strings.

How many rows is a bracelet?

At 7 rows per cm, a 16 cm wrist with a 1 cm gap is 105 rows. OLIVER in tall letters takes 33 rows, so it fits once with room to spare.

Can I put a name on a normal (diagonal) pattern?

Names are knotted as alphas, which is what this tool makes. Diagonal patterns build their design from the order of the strings, and they are not in the tool.

Would a beaded name bracelet be easier?

If you'd rather bead it, the bead pattern maker puts a name along a peyote or loom bracelet and works out the rows for your wrist.

Is it free?

Yes. There is no account and nothing is sent to a server; the pattern is made in your browser.

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