Wednesday, March 23, 2011

V and Co how to: jersey knit bracelet

i don't know what it is about this time of year that makes me just want to have my bare feet in the sand, be watching the sun setting into the ocean, and breathing in the warm salty air of the beach...
as i get older, more and more i find myself missing that place i used to go to almost every.single.day. as a teen. (my skin doesn't miss it. as a matter of fact, i now wish i listened more and DID put SPF on my face...hindsight is 20/20). my mom calls me from her walk on the beach almost every morning...
*sigh*
yeah, i get a little homesick around this time of the year. heck on my pinterest my "dreaming of summer" has the most pictures in it. ah yes. i miss my ocean. case in point. this bracelet, brought a flood of memories, not because i used to have one like it but because i can totally see me wearing it by the beach, not caring that it's gotten salty and wet, because i can totally make another one in like less than 5 minutes flat when i get home.

it's simple, and it's perfect to dress up your bathing suit, or your cute summer covering with your flip flops in tow, or wear it with your cute summer dress while you dine eating fresh fish while watching the tide come in and the sun set.

*sigh*

i guess you can take the girl out of the beach...but not the beach out of the girl.
i'm counting down to my visit to so.cal. and i can't wait to actually wear my bracelet at the beach. but for now...i'll wear it even if there's snow and winds and i'm encircled by mountains.

lets get started:
*1st you will need approx three strips of jersey knit fabric cut to 1" each with the length of at least 58"


i found my my yellow jersey knit fabric here...my blue fabric at joann's, they have a large variety and you don't have to buy a whole yard of it, like i did. and my gray jersey fabric from robert kauffman

*2nd you will need your fingers. that's it, oh and a pair of scissors.

how many fingers you use will determine how thick your bracelet will end up. i'll go into more detail on the 4 and 2 fingers...i'm assuming you can figure out 3 fingers! personally my favorite one is the 2 finger one...it's the perfect thickness in my eyes.
okay...
*first you are going to take your 1" strips and cut on your ends a 1/4" slit.

*next take your slits and line them up ends together like the picture above.
*now take your bottom strip and pull it through the slits from TOP to bottom
*gently pull till you get a little knot.
now a lot of you will go back in time with me and totally remember doing this with yarn when we were in grade school or somewhere along that time. dont' know if it was a california thing cause i asked my friend who grew up in florida what i should call this and she was like "what are you talking about? i've never made those."

*with your connected strips we are now going to weave the strip in and out of our fingers.
use the next set of pictures as a guideline (next set of pictures are for 4 fingers):
start off with weaving behind the pointer, in front of the middle, behind the ring, and in front of the pinky finger.
then wrap it around and behind the pinky, then in front of the ring, and behind the middle, and then in front of the pointer.

*you should now have all fingers "weaved upon" (ha!)
*bring one big loop around to face you (from the pinky to pointer)
*take your weaved loops and go over your finger and big loop like the picture above.


*continue to do so with all the fingers going in order.
*when you get to the end, or at the end of your first chain (at your pointer finger) make a new loop and start the process all over again!
* once you get like 6 chains done, take your starting tail and gently pull (while your chain is still securely placed on your fingers!) so that you can get a good feel as to how long you need to make your chain, depending on your wrist size.


now let me show you real quick how to make a two finger chain then we will proceed on how to finish your chain and how to tie it off:

**because you are using less fingers you will need less strips. i just used 2 strips when i made my 2 finger bracelet

*just like the 4 finger chain start with a small tail (of at least 4 inches)
*starting on your ring finger, weave behind (your ring finger) and then in front of your pinky.
*then come back and loop back in front of your ring finger.
*come back around from behind (from the pinky side) to the front to make a big loop.
*repeat the steps i showed you while doing the 4 finger bracelet.
*remember to pull your tail so it makes the chain more defined and it gives you a better idea of how long you need to make your chain.
*once you've determined you have a long enough chain, carefully pull the loops off your fingers, making sure you don't undo any of the chain by losing the loops!
*slip the extra tail into both loops.
*pull all the way through, and gently tug the end.

*tie off your bracelet with a knot.
*cut off excess tails!



so by using 2, 3, or 4 fingers, you get:

side view.
and top view of thickness.
and now you are so ready to hit the beach, pool, lake, or heck the grocery store. cause yeah, they are that cute.
now available: KITS sorry sold out. but thank you!
and ps: i'm making a video for the few of you needing a video...just need to get the 'ol tri pod out. stay tuned.
FIND VIDEO HOW TO HERE
are you so ready for summer like i am?

286 comments:

1 – 200 of 286   Newer›   Newest»
Marisa said...

Er. . . the two finger width bracelet just looks braided. Why wouldn't you just braid it? It would be way faster and use less fabric.

Pretty, though, however you make it! :)

V and Co. said...

marisa, yes it looks braided in the picture...but there's actually two chains connecting them, so it's still a little more like a "box" of braids...which i really like how it turned out! ;)

DD Lindsey said...

This is SUPER Cool! Do you think you could just recycle an old t-shirt to make your strings? Maybe if you started at the bottom & spiral up while cutting? Just thoughts. Thanks for the inspiration :)

Tasha said...

That is seriously so fun. And I agree...it totally looks summer. I love summer too...

V and Co. said...

YES!!!!! USE THOSE T-SHIRTS!!!!

bethanndodd said...

Adorable and quick...two of my favorite things in a project! Add the Abby bag to your outfit and you are rockin'! Thanks for the quick how-to. Smiles!

Katie Lewis said...

Super cool. Thanks!

Leslie said...

LOVE this!!! Thanks for showing how to make it. I just pulled out a shirt from my dresser (my stash of trash shirt that I use in such cases like this) and am ready with the scissors. Love your blog!!!

I featured you on my blog. It wont come out till morning and I sent links back to you so that they can come see the tutorial for themselves http://hobbied.blogspot.com

Christie // lemon squeezy home said...

Very cute, and the 2 finger one looks better than braided to me, too ;).

Dev said...

It's not just a California thing; it's also an Arizona thing. I teach art at a Boys and Girls Club and one of the kids there actually taught me how to do this with yarn. And since they are all so good with 4 fingers, I think I need to teach them how to do it with 2 and 3 fingers now and we can all make these bracelets :)

Juliette said...

oh my gosh. I know what you mean. You can't take the beach out of the girl. I grew up at the beach and then lived right on it for 10yrs before moving to my current landlocked, hill-surrounded spot that only sports a small, shallow, piddly brown 'river'. *sniff*

It's no wonder our home is full of various shades of blue...sheesh. I feel your pain!

Andi said...

I didn't grow up on the beach but I am a Cali girl too and my parents grew up in San Luis Obispo, so I have beach fever in my blood :-) I really love these bracelets but I must have missed the memo cause I have never made anything like this. But I will definitely be starting now!

amylouwhosews said...

it was 80 here yesterday and we are planning on a trip to the beach this afternoon! not to rub it in or anything. I wish I had some knit! And of course I love that aqua knit!!!

Tanyia said...

adorable!!! ty :)

ker said...

okay, so this totally brought back memories... not of the days walking on the beach (i have lived among the mountains my entire life!) but memories of creating chains with my fingers and yarn- yes, i did that quite often! i am so trying this in every size: 2,3, and 4 fingers. because it's uber cool like that!

Anna said...

umm speachless! you are my crafting goddess. :)

Petit Design Co. said...

so cute, thanks for sharing. I'll be making some of these as soon as I find cute jersey fabric!

Purple Quilter Queen said...

So cute! I was a little lost at first but I think the yellow one made more sense to me. You should do youtube videos of your tuts too! So cute and I love the colors - yes they do remind me of summer. Jenn

Anonymous said...

Nice! I never thought to reduce the amount of fingers for a different look. THanks!

Unknown said...

Hi I love this
I was hoping you could tell me which fabric you bought from Robert Kaufman I searched but couldn't find jersey? and where I live doesn't have a fabric store anymore
thanks

Amy C said...

We did the yarn in Alabama too :)
I love this tutorial! Can't wait to make some for my friends.

Knit Purl Gurl said...

You could do this on a teeny knitting loom as well! My kids have the Nifty Knitter Looms and these would be a great project for them to do with their own upcycled t-shirts! :)

Dawn said...

love this! can't wait to try one-my girls will love it too-wearing them and making them!

Wendy said...

This is so stinkin' cool! Love it!

Anonymous said...

its gorgeous, and complicated for some one like me, i spend 3 hours trying to make it nothing.

Unknown said...

Love this! I just made a 3 fingered bracelet in an aqua jersey almost identical to yours. Fast and cute!

Anonymous said...

I have linked your post my blog. www.robinsnestquilting.blogspot.comThank you for the tutorial. I'm thinking that I could find something at the thrift store to use, also. Maybe that would cost more???

Missy said...

These are so fun and cute. I am going to have to make me at least one. They are so much easier to wear than real jewelry for me, with 3 boys I get in the middle of a bunch of mixers :)
Oh, I am so SoCal girl as well but married to military we are not there, snow and mountains/plains for me (at least for now).

SewWhatbySaira said...

Was so fast and easy to follow...I made a red one while reading the how to...it's a perfect gift to give my friends!!! Thanks!

megan said...

I love this! You are so creative!

catie said...

this is a FANTASTIC idea! i love finger knitting! and i just added a bunch of hubby's t-shirts to the donate pile...out of that pile and into the fabric pile they go!

Kelli W said...

These are awesome! I have a ton of old tshirts that I could use for this...now I may have to reread the tutorial 5 times to figure it out though:)

Lia said...

I love these. I have a gray shirt that would be perfect. Your yellow one is beautirul

Mandi A. said...

I am from SoCal and we called it "finger knitting" I'm not sure that the tremonalogy is exactly correct, but that's what we called it as kids :o) We made scarves out of yarn - never tried it with jersey before!

I had totally forgot about it!

Thirty-One Trendy Totes said...

This is very cute! love it! Good idea for a headband too!

Unknown said...

That's called "finger knitting" - and is used a lot in Montessori schools! Very cute! Thanks for sharing!

I like Thirty-One Trendy Totes' idea about a headband, too!

dana said...

cute! Love those colors!

Cloudmom said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cloudmom said...

Love the idea! I'm making a couple from old t-shirts tonight. I enjoyed hearing about your inspiration on Pat Sloan's Podcast too.

Anonymous said...

omg...lol! We used to do that with yarn when we were kids. So much fun to do on those rainy summer days. I agree you can not take the beach out of the girl.

Anonymous said...

love it. just made a couple from t-shirts! i have always played with finger knitting but never thought about doing it with anything other than yarn. thanks for the inspiration.

Colette said...

Love these1 I made yarn finger chains in second grade, right here in Utah! Thank you Mrs. Anderson!

slfranks4 said...

Well, I'm from Ohio and we used to finger knit while wasting time in studyhall. So, it's definitely made the span from one coast to the other at some point.
I love these bracelets and had pretty much not thought about making chains like these in ages, but I think this is the perfect little craft to teach my daughter. Gotta love bonding over crafts and cookies. :)

extreme personal measures said...

I am SERIOUSLY loving this tutorial! I love that I can wear this piece anytime. I am featuring it this morning at
Extreme Personal Measures.

Denise
Extreme Personal Measures

trish said...

These are so cute V!! And what a super idea to use a tshirt! Game on! :o)
I totally miss my N.CA beaches and food. Can not wait for my trip back this summer!! Counting days. And who knows, maybe I will be wearing my bracelet while scanning the shore for sand dollars. :o)
Have a great day!
Trish

Maggie Massey said...

Eeek! Perfect! And I adore the colors you used!!! My daughter "finger-knits" all the time...these would be perfect for her to make for me! ;)

Two Shades of Pink said...

I love how summery and fun this is! Love it!

Mary said...

Ohh, I love this! I just made a yellow one from some jersey I had lying around.

The 2 finger version is a lot like the chains you make on a lucet :- http://www.thelucet.co.uk/

I think I will have a go at teaching my kids how to do it!

Thanks!

Alison said...

Oh my word, I did this when I was five, but never knew what to do with my chains. Your bracelets are so cute!

Maggie said...

Oooh pretty! I grew up in the midwest and have never heard of this way of making a bracelet...me likey!!

Unknown said...

Way cool! Love how customizable these are!

Isreview said...

Oh how cool! thank you for detailed tutorial:)
---
Daniela
http://isreview1.blogspot.com

Lauren said...

I'm totally making these. Then I will blog about it (linking to your fabulous tutorial, course!). Thanks!

Doris said...

Thank you! This was a lot more fun than doing what I really should have been doing this morning. It took a few attempts to get it right (I was weaving over every other finger), but once I figured it out correctly, it was a total breeze.

Faby said...

Thanks so much for this tutorial, I enjoy making them took me a while but once I I got it, it was so easy I made two for me one for my daughter, I really like you yellow one. I got to make one like that. thanks again.:)

Kiki Fangupo said...

holy cuteness!!!

Jaemie said...

I love, love, love these!

Pam said...

I remember doing this with yarn when I was little (and I grew up in Colorado). Super cute and such a fun easy project to remember.

Anonymous said...

These are awesome.....

Aimee said...

So cute!! Thanks for sharing!!

Melissa (Punkin Threads) said...

I love these! So much that I want to just buy them!!

Malea said...

LOVE these! Can't wait to try them. Basically, it looks just like what you do for loom knitting, except using your fingers. Going off to find a t-shirt to cut up...

SkinnyGirlSetFree said...

I love this! :) I've been wanting to make these! I actually linked this on my blog! Check it out if you're interested!

Anonymous said...

Love these! They are so cute. However, it took me forever to figure out how to do it. So in case anyone gets caught up where I did here is my experience: At the end of my first chain I wove between my fingers again which obviously didn't produce the desired result! You just make a new big loop across your fingers and pull the already weaved loop up and over your fingers again. Then repeat. Thanks for the tutorial!

vivi said...

hi v :)
great tutorial!
I wonder how is that you invented this? I like thinking about the previous steps to a project, how many times you tried and weren't happy with the results.. just curious
next to my house, there are several clothes workshops that put in the streets lots (but lots) of bags with fabric "scraps"; olivia loves picking them up, she has made lots of headbands, but this tutorial is ideal for this scraps!!

Bonnie said...

What a super fun idea. My girls will have a blast with this.

One idea you can use is to take old shirts you might throw away because of a stain or something and use them for these.

Danielle Bartran said...

I think I'm a little obsessed with these. And I think this is the perfect way to upcycle the scraps of t-shirts from a t-shirt quilt that I made for my husband!

Damitz Family said...

I LOVE these! Thank you!

Katie Richins said...

My daughter and her friend are making these (in lavender) right this minute. So fun! Thanks!

Hugs & Loves, Ariel said...

hey so i am trying to follow your tutorial but maybe i'm missing a step or something cause i cant for the life of me get it to work! every time i pull the tail to make it come off my fingers it either makes it super tight on my fingers and goes no where or unravels! i would love some help cause these are so so cute!! thanks a million

Hugs & Loves, Ariel

arielromey@gmail.com

Leah said...

Do you think you could post a video?! I think that would be really helpful!

Unknown said...

I freaking LOVE these! Adorable and super fun.

Vicki said...

Cute! This is a great idea. I grew up in Utah and definitely did fingerknitting as a kid. :)

Michelle said...

LOVE this!!! I did make them when I was a child, we used yarn and I think we called it Finger Crocheting (it was the 70's and crocheting was very popular). My 9 year old is loving this too!!! Thanks! :)

Caroline said...

I grew up in Houston, and like some other commenters, learned this as "finger knitting." It was a huge fad in my second grade class, and we all (boys included!) brought yarn to school and finger knit during class. Our teacher was clearly awesome. Anyway, we made loooong chains to use as Christmas tree garlands, but you could make any kind of garland--just keep your chain going!

Anonymous said...

Ok, maybe it's just me but it looks complicated. :( I will have to test it out. Any chance of getting someone to do a youtube video?

Nina said...

Now THIS is jewelry for everyday wearing!

Noelle said...

Three hours of frustration. Wish I could have figured it out! Super cute tutorial!

V and Co. said...

okay okay i'll make a video of it for the few that have requested it. will let everyone know when i get it up.

Kiery said...

WOW. I might be completely stupid but after 5 tries, and reading the tutorial about 20 times, I still can't get it. Can you possibly do a video? I really want to make some of these to take on my Caribbean excursion at the end of April!

Raquel said...

Very good idea!!! I love it! Thanks!

Raquel
www.sewing-with-love.blogspot.com.br

Geezees Custom Canvas Art said...

Love these...so pretty and funky!

Danielle Bartran said...

I just made about 15 of these while watching a 1 hour tv show. SO easy and SO awesome! I think I'll be giving these as gifts to all of my girl friends! Thanks for the great tutorial!

B.jane said...

Simple and sweet..LOVE IT!

Jamie said...

Once I figured it out, they were great to do! I used an old T-shirt which worked great. I just pieced all the pieces together as needed. I didn't worry too much at keeping it an even 1" wide, I just ripped the knit (didn't know that even really worked) and it wasn't straight, but the varied widths look pretty cool. Great tutorial!

Kris said...

Finger weaving!! I used to do that all the time as a kid with yarn (in CT!). Love it!

Lisa H. (Sewing or Something) said...

I saw the kit and pdf in your shop, are you going to have any made bracelets? I love to sew and craft but certain things I wouldn't mind just buying. This would be one! Let me know if you add any. (I like the 2 fingered mixed fabrics btw)

tammie said...

oh my gosh! we called this finger knitting growing up {in california} thank you for bringing back such wonderful memories! i made some today and posted them on my blog {i linked back to your tutorial}...

Unknown said...

fun idea.... Thanks!

Good luck with the big changes coming up. Keep on canning!

Anonymous said...

I've been reading the tutorial for a bit and I can't figure out how to get the initial knot between the three strips. I'd love it if a video were posted as well! (:

MrsLaurenRoberts said...

I love this! I went and bought three knit jerseys last night! Too bad I can't figure it out either - mo idea how to get teh knot started and know idea what to do with all of the strands! Am I an idiot? Haha :) Can't wait for the video!

Unknown said...

These are so cool, but I'm confused just reading the instructions. (I'm a bit craft-challenged.)

Three strips of jersey knit fabric cut to 1" each with the length of at least 58" = 174" That's 14.5 feet of material...!

Please tell me I've misunderstood, before I go out and buy entire bolts of fabric to make a few bracelets...

House Queen said...

OH HOW I LOVE THESE...Sadly...I am lost at the instructions...it is not you...it is my lack of craftiness! So...I guess I will never have one! Thanks for letting me LOOK at them though! LOL Have a great week!!!

V and Co. said...

okay all, i'm going to make a video hopefully later today so stay tuned!

Lisa H. (Sewing or Something) said...

thank goodness I am not the only one!! LOL

Ima said...

Those are awesome!! Gotta try to make it. Thanks for sharing :)

Unknown said...

Very nice! I had only seen this done on all 5 fingers to make a knitted tube, but not completing the tube makes a lot more sense to me. Thanks for sharing!

We Blog Artists said...

V and Co...what a great World you have over here!!!!
LOVE the tutorial.THANK YOU!!!
hugs
Char.x

Sara Millis said...

Cute Idea... must have a go!

Maggie said...

This will be a perfect activity to do with my girls on the next rainy day. Love it!!

Anonymous said...

Love these! Thanks for the great tutorial.

Kelly Art Attack said...

Beautiful!!!!!!!
i'm gonna make some of these!!!thx!!
http://kellyartattack.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyartarttack/

Muriel said...

Thanks for the detailed tutorial...

Muriel (from Switzerland) who juste made one !

And now... the next one ;-)

Unknown said...

so cute bracelet!thanks for the tutorial!i will definitely try to do some for me! :-)

Clémentine said...

Hello !

You did a very nice job with these bracelets! I'd like to try to make them too, but I'm french and I don't understand "(*1st you will need approx three strips of jersey knit fabric) cut to 1" each with the length of at least 58"", also how long my strip must be?
Hope you can help, thanks

Salty Gal said...

love them, had to share on my blog:
http://www.esbechic.com/1/post/2011/04/how-to-finger-knitted-bracelets.html

Donna said...

this is SO awesome! I need to make a visit to Joann, stat! & I think the game you were referring to was cat's cradle? I played it ALL the time as a kid :)

Anonymous said...

I tried to do this and could not figure it out. i think it should be more step by step, not sure how you got from weaving to the chains, so i must be doing it wrong. wasted some fabric to try this...

Emma said...

Reading this tutorial I was suddenly reminded of doing something similar when I was a little girl, though I can't remember what, exactly. I'm sure it wasn't these bracelets I made, but it was some kind of finger knitting (rather than finger weaving!) Thanks so much for the tutorial. I'm excited to give this a go.

Kim said...

So crazy! I grew up it so cal and finger knitted with yarn all the time. I literally just taught my daughter how to do this yesterday and found this tut today! Cant wait to try it with jersey knit.

Lilie Cadette said...

Thanks for these great explanations! I made one and posted a picture of it on my blog (with a link to your website of course :) )

Unknown said...

seriously isn't there a better tutorial? maybe a video. cause it just doesn't work for me. I have no idea how it look on the back of your hand because on the back of my hand it's doesn't look like something at all

Sam said...

I can't wait to make one of these for myself! I also included this in a roundup of bracelet tutorials for those who want to help with Craft Hope's latest project!

http://www.bobalookids.com/2011/04/craft-hope-crafting-for-good.html

Justcallmeblessed said...

I cant wait to try this! Thanks!

Maggie said...

My girls (ages 9 and 5) and I did these on Easter and they are now obsessed. They are giving me every old t-shirt to cut into strips. It was so easy, fast, fun and cute. The perfect combo!

Anonymous said...

I made a four fingered one and a two fingered one, both out of recycled t-shirt fabric. SUPER cute! I like the casualness of the two fingered one and the more dressy feel of the four fingered one.

My sister immediately stole the two fingered one. So now I will have to make myself another!

Thanks for the project! I think I will make some for stocking stuffer gifts this Christmas.

Unknown said...

I made it! :-)
Please have a look at mine!

http://vallys-creations.blogspot.com/2011/04/waiting-for-odysseus.html

Thanks again for the tutorial!

Tagg said...

This is awesome!

NJ said...

These are gorgeous. I just tried one from an old t-shirt and posted on my blog - linking back to your tutorial. :)

www.njs-randomness.blogspot.com

Deana said...

This is awesome. I recently had a nephew pass away and will be making a t-shirt quilt out of his shirts. I think making some bracelets like these for his mom and cousins out the remainder of the shirts will be awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Lynnie said...

I love your website and all your tutorials. I have featured you on my blog.

Anonymous said...

This is so cute!It must have skipped Florida because I have never seen this before!Love it!

Beverly said...

I love the creativity of the bracelet! They are pretty as well!

Anonymous said...

So I tried to do this and it was a complete fail..i don't understand how yours turned into a chain...mine ALWAYS falls apart no matter how carefully I pull them off my fingers. I know I have to be doing something wrong, but I can't figure out what it is. HELP!

Annie Anderson said...

LOVE these bracelets! I have my fabric cut and I'm ready! I noticed that you said a while back that you were going to make a video for these. I can't find a link to it. Did you do it and I'm just crazy for missing it? Thanks! Can't wait to do this!

Annie Anderson said...

Whenever you bring the loop around for the first time, is there a loop on the back of your hand too? I'm tempted to braid it but yours are SO much cuter!

Rachel said...

Over at momcoloredglasses.com, we are on the same wavelength...we posted a DIY knit bracelet as well with embedded beads to inspire our readers to make bracelets for kids in Russia! We need to add this version to our collection - they would love them!

http://momcoloredglasses.com/2011/05/11/craft-hope-we-need-you/

Rachel

Kali @ everyordinaryday said...

I absolutely love this! I used to make something similar to this when I was a kid but had forgotten how do it. So glad I found your post!

Cassie said...

i must not be following the directions cause when i do it falla aprt when i take it off my fingers...and i dont know how to get it to be long and tight like you have it in the picture...itsfrustrating because it looks so beautiful!

Suzy said...

ok, this may seem like a stupid question but...what's with the slits and the tying? is that just to make it longer...like would we still need to do that if we had a long enough strip?

Anonymous said...

loved the idea but the directions confused me and I couldn't make it

Jenny Graham said...

I can't wait to make these! It seems like a great way to reuse my old shirts from high school that I never wear :)

PS Here in Texas we called it "Finger Weaving" while I was growing up :)

Anonymous said...

such a cute idea! just in case anyone was wondering...not as cute with knit ribbing. i had some left over from a blanket binding and thought i would try it out.

Mia Glatter said...

I'm excited to try to make these, but i'm a little confused. Maybe i'm not reading well enough (i'm making the two fingered one), but why do you need more than one strip of fabric? And what purpose does the knot serve?

I just need a little extra clarification :]

Missallie3 said...

I used to finger knit all the time when I was growing up! LOVE this! I always just used yarn, tshirt strips never even occurred to me! BRILLIANT!!!!

BluKatKraft said...

This is so cute! Thanks for the tutorial!

co.arianne said...

i know this will sound totally stupid of me. but... i don't get the instructions... seriously. i've been trying for 2 hours already.. >< i don't get the knot thingy (where you overlap the holes) part. and then i don't get the whole knitting. i tried to do the 2 finger bracelet first. is there a video of some sort i can watch? :D please? i think it looks really nice. just my style :)

co.arianne said...

er... i know this will sound stupid on my part but is there a video tutorial for this? i really cannot follow the instructions...i can't get the knot part and then i tried doing the 2-finger bracelet. i've been at it for 2 hours.. and my fingers hurt ><

Heather - Dollarstorecrafts.com said...

This is so cute & seems like such a fun summer project for tweens & teens (and moms). Featuring it on Dollar Store Crafts on Sunday!

Anonymous said...

Can someone who has actually figured this out please post a how-to video? These are adorable, but I'm super confused. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

the bracelets are adorable, however I must be incredibly challenged because a friend and I were unable to understand the directions and could not successfully make one :( rather disappointing. If you do decide to post a video that would be lovely. thanks for the great idea, maybe one of these days i will actually figure it out.

RoyaltyGuru said...

yea..me too..is there a video tutorial for this?

Anonymous said...

I learned it in grade school in So. Cal too!! We called it Finger Crocheting!!

Anonymous said...

i think these are cool an trying to make my frist one but confused on where to go after i fill my filled my figers up how do u refresh ur fingers to keep going. a video would be awesome.

Anonymous said...

haha its finger knitting. I used to do this all the time and just had tons of long chains and nothing to do with them, this is awsome! I can't wait to do it with my girls. :)

Jen :) said...

Hey, just wanted to say it is also called finger knitting... I have know how to do this since I was about 5, it is really easy. And Yes VERY fun, I can do it while watching television or talking with friends.

Anonymous said...

Hey--this was a fun idea. I remember doing finger knitting with yarn, but I never thought about using jersey to make a bracelet!

I had some trouble remembering how to do the finger knitting, but I finally figured it out. It sounds like some others had the same kind of troubles I had, so this is what I figured out:
1. The knotting part at the very beginning is just to put the three (or two) lengths of fabric together. If you're making these by cutting a spiral out of the bottom of a t-shirt, you don't have to worry about this step.
2. For the knitting, you basically start with figure eights around your fingers. Then you loop a strip of fabric over the figure eights, and then you pull the figure eights over each individual finger, like in the pictures. Another mistake I was making was trying to alternate which direction I made the loop. Whenever you finish doing a weave, the long end will be coming off the back of your hand in a certain direction--for example, with the way she did it here and with how I did it, it's towards the pinky side. If that's the way you're doing it, too, then you will loop the long end over your fingers toward your thumb, and then you'll do the weaving steps again. Every time, you should loop in that direction.

I hope that helps if you're having problems... these were just some things I was having trouble with; maybe this can help someone who is having trouble too!

Anonymous said...

Very cool! I had trouble figuring out he knot in the beginning but when i finished it looked very cool. thanks for the awesome idea. I also used just a knit fabric that was textured so it came out with a different feel than the jersey knit.

Kim said...

Thank you so much for easy to follow instructions on this project. I did these with a group of middle school girls today and they had a blast. I linked back to you for your great instructions. THese creative girls took the bracelet design in some different directions and made anklets and headbands. They even added beads. It was a lot of fun!
http://takeyourvitaminc.blogspot.com/2011/06/finger-woven-bracelets.html

Emma said...

I found this tutorial this morning, and withing 20 minutes I had a cute teal bracelet made! I just used an old tshirt. Totally appreciate that this was quick and didn't involve sewing! Great video too!

Kristina said...

I just taught my five year old how to make these! Thank you for saving us from boredom!

Heather said...

How old were you when you made these as a kid? Was thinking this could be a fun VBS project for the older ones.

Jenelle said...

I love this and shared it on my blog (linking back to your full tutorial)
http://trashn2tees.blogspot.com

Jenelle
www.trashn2tees.com

Anonymous said...

Just made this- super cute! Planning on making one for my mom on her birthday- she loves them too! Wanted to make one with a rope... but still have to find one that would be soft enough for a bracelet. Any suggestions? My mom loves all this nautical stuff- can't wait til she sees it!

Anonymous said...

I just tried this at least ten times. Not working. And I'm following the pics and words precisely. Others that were able to follow must have the previous experience. I'm pretty good at deciphering instructions, taught myself to knit that way, but these directions are missing something.

Anonymous said...

I am having trouble with the jersey fraying. Anyone else have this happen? Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

Jennifer said...

I am having trouble with the jersey fraying too! We found another fabric with spandex in it and that worked, but the only color joann has is a plum. We want the cute colors available in the jersey... but it's fraying rather than rolling and looks a mess.... ??????

Anonymous said...

I used ebroidary floss after using the jersey fabric...and it turned out really well.

Brassy Apple said...

Hi Vanessa! I'd love to include this tutorial in a DIY bracelet round up I am putting together. could I snag 1 photo and your link to include? let me know asap please! :)

Elisa @ Crazy, Amazing Life said...

These are fantastic! I am totally craft-impaired but really tempted to try these!

Laksmi said...

Hi There! Your tutorial and vid is awsome! I tried it and get addicted.
Here's my result : http://skinner17.tumblr.com/

HayleighC said...

Super cool tutorial. I cut up some old t-shirts and just made a headband using the same technique (just have to make it longer than you would for the bracelets).

5jungsmami said...

Thanks for showing!

I learned it at school years ago (many years *haha*)... in Germany ;o)

Now I have to search some old tshirts ;o) I want to try those bracelets :o)

greetings

KaTe

Karin said...

thank you for this great tutorial! my little daughter loves her bracelets!

you can see it here:
http://linababedierste.blogspot.com/2011/07/eine-perfekte-nachmittagsbeschaftigung.html

greez from germany!
lina

kidquotes said...

Great idea! We call that joining technique splicing. I'm going to give this a try with some leftover t-shirt fabric soon. Thanks for the tutorial!

Grino said...

This tutorial helped clear things up for me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOc353OYYPg

Madilyn said...

This is such a great idea! I always see bracelets like these in stores selling for SO MUCH $$ and always think....I'm sure I could do that! Now I can :)

chantalscc said...

Well I <3 it .. My daughter is wanting to make them and sell them to her friends... I think i am missing something. I have figured out the "weave around the fingers" however i can't figure out how you are getting it off your figers t make the "braid" HELP US PLEASE LOL
my daughter is starting to make me a little crazy about it ... much <3

Anonymous said...

Ok, I am a bit confused so here is my question... if you are using three strips after you cut the slits in the ends do you stack all three on top of each other and then pull the bottom strips end through to make the knot or do you do them end to end (like end of one to end of two and other end of two to the end of three)?
Thanks!

The Beading Gem said...

I love how you used stretchy fabric for the bracelet! I did something similar following another tutorial but with yarn. Check it out - http://www.beadinggem.com/2010/08/use-your-fingers-to-make-this-macrame.html

I will feature and link in a future blog post so others can come visit.

Jared and Erin said...

I love these! I had a question though about the fabric. When I made one, the jersey frayed and made it look messy, not as clean as yours. I'm curious if you treated the fabric first or did anything to avoid fraying? Or am I just getting cheap jersey? Got it from JoAnn.

AlikiBags said...

FABULOUS!!!!
Thank you so very much for this ! I will also bookmark this and feature it in a future blog or Facebook post, please.
I am deeply into recycling, upcycling; currently crochetibg bags using Tshirt Yarn.
Bye for now,
Kiki x

faux fur hats said...

Good thing I surf the net on how to make a bracelet and find your site.I really like your jersey bracelet and Thanks also for including procedures for us to have a easy guide in doing the process.

Unknown said...

Great idea ~ thanks for sharing!!

Eli De Caires González said...

Hi, I'm having problems understanding in pictures your way to do the finger weaving. Don't you have a video of the same process? Thank you! Eli

Melody said...

Cuuuute, I'm definitely trying this!

Simone @ Doberman's by the Sea said...

Hey there, I'm your newest follower and I follow a few of your pinterest boards as well-that's how I found you. You make super cute things and I lvoe the beachjust as much as you do. Cheers

Anonymous said...

HI, I love this idea it is so great but i can't seem to get the same look as yours. How did you get the edges of the fabric to roll up? I bought some at JoAnns and it just isn't doing the trick once i finish the bracelet all the frayed edges are visible and it just looks tacky. I tried ironing the edges and that didn't work either. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Madisyn

Brenda Park said...

I hope you do mind me linking this to my blog. www.brendawritesablog.blogspot.com. I will put a linkback to you, of course! Brilliant idea, LOVE the bracelet.

Chelsea said...

What a great tutorial - these were so fun to make and I ended up teaching my sisters and nieces how to make them! I just posted about it on my blog and linked back to you : http://swellchel.blogspot.com/2011/09/crafts-jersey-fabric-braided-bracelet.html

Thanks for sharing your talents!

ari said...

I love this! I just made two, using two strips of black and one of white it's a really cool colour-blocked look! LOVE it.

[I did have to look at the video to see how they joined together with the holes lo]

Laura said...

I would love to share a photo with a link back as part of a weekly series I do called fab five. Email me and let me know if it would be alright. Thanks.laura@realmomkitchen.com

Kathy@mishmashmom said...

Thank you for this tutorial! My older kids 6-13 had a great time making these during conference...and it kept them still and quiet so that I could listen!

kokeriko said...

So cute, thank you so much!
I have done mine, for sure! You have it here: kokeriko.canalblog.com

Debbie said...

Thank you for teaching a CANADIAN girl how to do this!!! I have a 6 yr old daughter who I am teaching to knit, (she really wants to learn so we can knit together) and she is a bit frustrated with it...this will give her something else to focus on and really really enjoy!!!! We can do this together....YAY!! I have a feeling she will be giving these away as presents......:-). Thanks again for sharing....I appreciate it! Glad I found this site....:-)

Anonymous said...

Thank you from the Czech Republic. It took me a while to get down to making it, so now, when my two daughters (3yr, 10mths) are sleeping I had a go, it is sooo easy and really cool. Can not wait to wear it tomorow and make more and show how to make it to my niece who loves hand made stuff. Thank you for this site and for sharing. Zdenka

Ayca said...

Thank you for this great tutorial!

Anonymous said...

Made it... Love it.... And am now converting t-shirts Ian these and matching scarfs!!!

Anonymous said...

This is a great technique! I also used the 2-finger method to made chain belts for my daughter, she LOVES them! Just follow the directions to make the bracelet, but keep going until it fits around the waist. ( takes about 5 strips for a 2-year old) You can also make a multi-colored bracelet or belt by alternating colored strips when "splicing" the jersey fabric.

Emily said...

I found this on Pinterest and just made it today! I *love* how it turned out and how easy it was to make! Thanks for the video tutorial too! :)

Stephanie Elizabeth {Fab You Bliss} said...

These bracelets are super cool!

Rachel Miller said...

I shared a link to your site on most every site I belong to! I love these bracelets. I amalso s new follower and am about to post about your site on my blog which you can visit anytime at: http://rachelspapercraafts.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Funny story....

I was making one of these just now and my brother-in-law (both of us are in our mid-20's) was like, "hey, that looks like the kind of chain you'd use Hot Loops to make!"

Definitely, not a California thing! I grew up in MN and he grew up in ND and we both "recognized" this weave.

Super cute bracelet too! (I did the two finger).

heidimuller said...

Tried this out on the weekend -thanks for the great idea & tutorial! Yuu're linked here:
http://heidihobby.blogspot.com/2011/11/jersey-knit-bracelet.html

Kate-y said...

I found the following video helpful as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOc353OYYPg . I also used 1" satin ribbon for the 2-finger weave, and it turned out beautifully! Just melt the ends of the ribbon on the stove so they don't fray.

Margaret F said...

Is it kinda a west coast thing?
I grew up in hawaii and we would make leis like this out of yarn.

This would be an adorable way to hang things though...and also as a handle to whatever else....(my guitar case needs a new sturdy handle :)

thanks for the tutorial!

Head Ant said...

My daughter has some old t-shirts that I've been wanting a project for. This would be perfect--she loves bracelets. Could you make a necklace length?

Unknown said...

This was great! Thank you!!! :)

Unknown said...

Thank you for this. I am going to teach my daughter how to do this... I know she is going to love it!

Desiree @ The 36th AVENUE said...

Hi there!

I want to let you know that I am featuring your EXTRAORDINARY project today on my blog... Love it!

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