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?

287 comments:

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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!

ellie said...

I have been making scarfs with t-shirts and I would love to make these. I am having problems with some of the t-shirts I have. When I cut them in narrow strips and pull them to get "thread like" strands, they don't roll. Does anyone else have this problem? Or does anyone know why I'm having this problem. Thanks for any help you can give.

Unknown said...

I learned how to do this in school (3rd grade) too - in California. I never thought of using the jersey knit to make bracelets though! Awesome! I might to try it with some beads strung on the fabric strips - for a little bling!

Kimberly said...

I remember making these with neon colored loops! You've made the cute, adult version and I love it!

Elena Christiansen said...

SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND THIS!! I'm making the two finger bracelets for my sisters as christmas presents. I LOVE IT! thank you!!

Anonymous said...

I remember making headbands like this as a kid about 20 yrs or so ago. Around the same time Gimp came out. Never really got into the gimp scene but I sure did love making the headbands and such. Especially, since it was so easy for my little brain to comprehend. Perfect for kids.

Angie said...

Went to the fabric store and bought the stuff came home and made one, love it! BUT!! It is fraying and making a huge mess!! I saw some other similar situations posted in comments but couldn't find an answer. I would love love an answer! Thanks sooo much for your time.

Anonymous said...

Mine was a fail :( the fabric I bought sucked. I got my jersey knit from Joanne's and when it's pulled tightly it frays on the ends making it look really dumb. I was very disappointed since yours look amazing! i was going to do this for my friends for christmas but they look too crappy. i guess springing for the expensive jersey material is worth it. or maybe i just chose a crappy kind? idk. Maybe i'll try using an old tshirt.

V and Co. said...

Okay to clear up a couple of questions: theres a video that has been mentioned is helpful ( there's a link up above)
Second: most asked question: I used fabric that has Polyester and rayon in it. I believe there's spandex as well but I think that's what all jersey fabric has in it. I hope this helps!

CupcakeGremlin said...

I love these bracelets! My wrists are really tiny and I have a ton of old band shirts that have been begging for a second (or third, haha) life and this little project is a perfect fit. Thanks for sharing!

antonella said...

I linked your project in my blog

thanks for sharing
antonella

Anonymous said...

just like crocheting and could be done with big hook- very prettty

Anonymous said...

I only have the internet at work and hope I can remember all the steps when I go home. These are too cute!

Heidi said...

Thank you for this beautiful and easy idea! I have fond memories of finger knitting like this in elementary school. I just made two and they are ADORABLE! I really am grateful. You just made my remainder of my Christmas gift-making much easier! Merry Christmas!

NIxxyBlack said...

Managed to get it on the third try! But turned out amazing! I am moving out of the family home this coming january and have confiscated a load of my dad's old shirts to turn into bracelets like these! Absolutly love them! And they smell like home! Makes them a thousand times better!

Anonymous said...

there should be more pictures. what happens to the loops on your fingers and how does the tail magically appear. this is difficult with such little instruction.

turquoiselove said...

quik question, wy theslits and knot at the beginning? is that to make the lengt longer? just wondeing, im about to give it all a try... thank yewwww <3

tabitha said...

i made a pink one, the smallest seize, thanks so much for this tutorial.. i love it!

Bao said...

Many thanks for this tuto and the video :) I did it today in brown with an old tee-shirt and it's great!

melissa said...

saw this on pinterest and had to try it!! i love my new bracelet, many thanks for sharing. :)

Gina P said...

Just made some of these. Thanks for the great tutorial! And the video helped so much. I just love how cute and easy they are.

http://selacava.blogspot.com/2012/01/jersey-knit-bracelet.html

Anonymous said...

Love these! Can't wait to make all three. We teach the weaving and call it finger knitting.

amanda jean said...

For some reason, I'm not understanding how you "tie" the three pieces of fabric together. Do you connect all of them somehow? or do you use the third piece to tie the other two?

Matt Beaudoin said...

What a great design. Couple this with the t-shirt yarn ideas and you have a great way to continue loving your old shirts in a new way.

Anonymous said...

I would love to make this but can't for the life of me figure these steps out. I don't know what I am doing wrong.

cadouri said...

arata bine


looking good

Anonymous said...

Hey Vanesse. thx for the video, that helped a lot :)
Btw, I did the 2 finger version, if you use ring & middle finger instead of the pinky the braid is more even and if you stay at the fingertips it's easier to get the whole thing tighter!

Unknown said...

These look so cute but I am confused about one of the first steps. It says put the two pieces with the 1/4" hole on top of one another and bring the bottom piece through from top to bottom. What bottom piece? Help please :)

Result News said...

I surely try at home for me. Thanks for tutorial

MsLindaK said...

Ahemmmm 200 comments, sorry I can't read them all...loved the video on making the bracelets. I'm thinking ripped up cottons or other types of materials that do not stretch and I can put jump rings and add charms or pieces of broken jewelry I have as an added dimension. This will go onto the 'do it soon' list... granddaughters will love this! Thanks for the tute!

Anonymous said...

should each strip be 58"?

Krista said...

I don't understand where the different strips come into play. :/ could you email me please? wordpainter81@yahoo.com

Karina said...

Thanks Vanessa! I just made it - super easy and super cute! I think I'll make a belt as well and maybe add some beads or somethign else...

maggie said...

I love this idea! Super duper cute! Things like this look easy until you try to do it by yourself and realize you should just look it up.

Visit my place, borntobeblonde.com

xoxo

Lisa @ A Little Slice of Life said...

This is a great idea for all the leftover pieces when I cut up m tshirts. Thanks for the inspiration.

Kristen S. said...

Love it! I do finger weaving with my boys. And I'm going to try this as a belt, but leave the tails long.

LThurston said...

UGH!!! it looks so easy but I can't figure out what to do after i get about six rounds done on my fingers (when you are supposed to be getting the right length)?! Do you then pull them off your fingers?

LThurston said...

Ugh!! It looks so easy but I can't figure out what I am supposed to do after I complete the 6 rounds (to make it actually come out as a bracelet)?! Do I then take them off my fingers and start over again? HELP.....

Mia Mingles Boutique said...

OHHH This was so much fun. My first was crazy looking. When I attempted the 2 strand I got it! Thank you sooo cute can not wait to blog about and link you to it. Awesome thank you!

bas re-design said...

Really interesting!
I use the same reused material but in a different way.
You can see my work here: http://bas-redesign.blogspot.com/2011/09/aretes-pulseras.html

thanks for sharing!

bas

A. M. Warnke said...

Do you need to use the join you made. I have a tutorial to follow for continues t shirt yarn I am wondering if it would work too.

Samara said...

Very cool idea- great tutorial too! Might give it a go with left over material from other projects...

Samara

thesecretlifeofsamara.tumblr.com

Emily said...

Not only a Californian thing, we did it in Sweden to! ;-)

daniiiiiicalifornia said...

Hey, so I tried all my might and could NOT get the 3 or 4 finger bracelets to work. However I made a 2 finger one long enough to make it a double wrapped bracelet. It's pretty neat.

CarolynB said...

I grew up in Virginia and this was a popular thing to do among the teenage girls of the time. I remember too that someone, (probably RONCO)made a little plastic gizmo that would make a tube of yarn in this fashion. You just turned the crank and it would do the weaving. Thanks for the memories! I am going to try to get elastic woven into a bracelet so it can double as a pony tail holder. Maybe add some beads in places .... I am loving this, Thanks again.

Madi said...

Have you ever tried mixing colors?...Not sure if that would look cool or not but I think it would.
Are they stretchy or would you have to tie and re-tie to take on and off?
These are really cool! Thanks for sharing!

Kara said...

Found this on pinterest forever ago, and finally got around to trying it! My husband even loves, and I'm making him one too haha Thanks so much! So easy, and a great way to clean out my closet :)

Anonymous said...

I hate to tell you this, but it is finger knitting, not just weaving. Not that it's a big deal, but just thought I'd say it. Also, if you pull on your fabric strips before knitting them, they'll go all round and give an entirely different look.

Yulia from make it and wear it said...

Hi, thank you for sharing. Such a great tutorial! I posted your tutorial on my blog with a link back to your blog, hope it’s ok http://makeitandwearit.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/wear-it-on-your-hand.html
Please write me if there is a problem makeandwear@gmail.com.
Cheers!

Hannah Chynoweth said...

This looks like it will be fun, I have a bunch of T's i was just going to toss cause i don't wear them anymore. Also.. the picture at the top definitely looks like the button is undone and your zipper is down... just thought i'd point that out.

Hannah Chynoweth said...

This looks like it will be fun, I have a bunch of T's i was just going to toss cause i don't wear them anymore. Also.. the picture at the top definitely looks like the button is undone and your zipper is down... just thought i'd point that out.

Leona said...

Thank you for sharing!! These bracelets are easy once you get the hang of it :) I also watched your video & it made me chuckle ;)

It's been a great rainy Sunday activity!

Anshu said...

These were so cute and easy. I made one of these yesterday. I also featured them here:
http://sewprettysewfree.blogspot.com/2012/05/jersey-knit-bracelets.html

Thanks for sharing

Katherine said...

Finger knitting! I never thought about doing it with jersey, but that's a great natural extension, and possibly easier to learn on than yarn.

Anonymous said...

These are so cute, and I attempted to make one out of a t-shirt, but it just ended up knotted up..I am not understanding what you did..but good job, they're very cute!

Anonymous said...

How do you finish the 4 finger braclet?

victoire4 said...

Love this!! Me daugther will enjoy to do this for her and friends!!

Iarya said...

Now of course I being older than dirt would not wear them but my grand-daughter adores them and am DEFINITELY making her some. My big question is.... have you tried making a second one in the same coloring large enough to put around the neck? You know these grils are wearing a lot of those scarves and material type things so was wondering if you could do a set? Those would be great gifts, especially for your teen girls to giev to friends etc.

Desiree @ The 36th AVENUE said...

Hi girl!
I am stopping by to let you know that another site took all of your pictures and made a collage with it. I don't even see a link to your original post on it and it is all over Pinterest. This is the link to the post:http://www.saifou.com/entry/13334.html
I would like to know if it was my work so I thought to share the info with you.
Have a great day!

The Pink Elephant said...

My daughter made something very similar at Girl Scout camp with those loops we used to make into pot holders. She would sit for hours and make them, and sold them to her friends. Never thought about just using a jersey fabric...very cool! The loops might help out someone having trouble with the weaving though, because you don't have to worry about the knotting at the beginning. Each row is with a new loop. I'll have to hunt for one of my daughter's bracelets and send you a picture.

Never Nola said...

Thanks for the inspiration! We are featuring this on our blog Monday and are sending our followers over to your blog to get the tutorial! Thanks!

Cheap Esse said...

I like to wear handmade bracelets ;) Thanks

Lyndsey said...

Okay, I am brand new to the crafting DIY thing so please bear with me. I am trying to make some of these bracelets for friends for Christmas cuz I think they are so cute. I'm trying to make the 2 finger one and haven't figured out how to get to certain steps... these are probably so basic so I feel dumb but I have tried following your instructions and can't figure out how to even get the knot or how to start out the weaving (around the ring and pinky finger). I feel like once I get started I can manage it, but I'm just having a tough time with the first couple of steps. Any suggestions/advice?

Lyndsey said...

I am getting stuck on the knot part. The way you describe that process (cut a slit in the end of one strip of fabric, cut a slit in the end of another slit of fabric, line them up, pull the other end of the bottom strip from top to bottom and tug to make a knot)... when I do that, it doesn't look like when you do it... it doesn't look like a knot at all... and if I tug a little too hard, it all falls apart. Am I getting those steps wrong?

Anonymous said...

Love it, never thought of making big ones by using larger materials lol! Ive used thin craft elastic the same way nd by using the elastic u can add beads on it...

Anonymous said...

I didn't get it until I tried it with the video! I love it now, though and it's soo soooo easy! Thanks!

My Strong Sisters said...

I'm in WV and we call this Finger Crochet. Used to do it in grade school and vacation bible school. Love the different widths by changing up the number of fingers you used.

Jeyd said...

You can also use the sleeves left over from making t shirt yarn to get the right amount to make hair scrunchies....they're cute and perfect for kids because if they lose it they just make another.

Sarah said...

I'm stopping over from I heart naptime! Love your blog, I'm your newest follower!

Unknown said...

i love this quick project.

I linked to your tutorial on my blog - thanks for sharing!


doro K.

Renée said...

So cute! I really love this, I ended up making my first a little too big so I turned it into a cute headband and I can tie like you would a ribbon. My second one turned out perfect!

Teenager Thoughts said...

I saw this, but didn't have any t-shirts I could use, so i used some old Jeans. The two-finger bracelet works well with about 1/2 centimeter strips of jean.

Jill said...

Love love love these!!

We used to do this technique with yarn when I was a kid too, and I grew up in Utah. I completely forgot about the technique until I saw your post. Thanks so much for reminding me:)

Unknown said...

I love this! I made some posted pictures and my friends loved them! They asked if I could make them some but I wanted to charge them a couple of dollars. Would that be alright with you? It should i direct them to your site? Thanks!!

Unknown said...

Has anyone thought of adding beads to make it even cuter?! :)

Anonymous said...

Can I just say how incredible your tutorial is? =D Most picture-and-instruction tutorials out there are incredibly difficult for me to understand, with instructions that don't match up with their pictures or just seem physically impossible! But this was perfectly clear and used perfect descriptions that were very easy to understand. Thank you so much! You're a life-saver! =D

Hurriedpatience said...

super cute with old t-shirts! today I did it with an old tank that was super stretched out : ) I am going to make billions more where that came from! thank you thank you for posting

Kristina said...

These are so cute! And the other comments are correct, it's called finger knitting. I remember my sister teaching it to me when I was very young in central Florida.

I made one of these yesterday but I usually only like metal or beaded jewelry. I wore it around for the day to see if I'd like it. I expected to hate it, but as the day went on it grew on me. I'm now eying my scrap pile to see what other colors of jersey I have hiding in there!

schulmanart said...

there are so so pretty! I put a link to your blog on mine for 8 DIY bracelet projects!!! http://schulmanart.blogspot.com/2013/08/8-diy-bracelets-projects.html

Jocelyn said...

Love love love... Can't wait to show my 11 year old daughter. Soon all her girlfriends are gonna have one

Ari said...

Love this! I totally suck at DIYing, so this is the perfect project for me: easy, no-sew AND gorgeous! I think every girl-friend of mine will soon have one of these for her birthday :D
Just a (probably idiotic) doubt: can I use just one, longer strip?

Krystal said...

Would love one of these as a headband.

Anonymous said...

These are awesome but being from Maine we never did these and apparently I know why. I am either missing a step or am just stupid for not getting this after 2 hours of trying (probably the later..I get all the weaves done all the way up to my finger tips but once I try to remove them they all come undone. I can't get the braid look..like you are showing with the 2 fingers..do you remove each "chain" and pull it somewhat taunt so that the fabric "locks" in place? I honestly feel like an idiot for asking but my daughter saw these and really wants to give a bunch at her birthday party as favors. Thank so you much.
A Clueless Maineiac

James Pixel said...

OMG I just say amazing work,.... and thanks to share your cool experience.

Oopsie Daisy said...

Hey I lpove htese bracelets!! But how do you make a 3 fingered one? I apologize if that is a trival question!

Rave | View said...

I'm definitely recreating this. You don't have an idea how crazy I am with anything worn on wrists. Thank you!

Rave + View

Kristi said...

I can't figure out the knot at the beginning? Are all three strips coming together to make the knot?

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