Alpha bracelet length calculator

What the calculator works out

An alpha bracelet has two kinds of string. Base strings run the length of the bracelet and stay mostly straight. Working strings are the colours you knot across them, one knot per square on the chart. The calculator gives you numbers for both, starting from a wrist measurement.

Rows needed. Add the ease to the wrist circumference to get the finished length you want. Divide that by the height of one knot row (2 mm by default) and round up. That is how many rows the pattern has to cover, repeating the motif if needed.

Base strings. The number is the pattern width: one base string under each knot.

Base-string cut length. Take the finished length and add 30 cm, which leaves about 15 cm at each end for starting, tying off and braiding the ties.

Working strings. You need one per colour. The calculator shows how many knots the whole bracelet has (rows × knots across), but it cannot see how your colours are spread across the chart, so it does not guess a length. Start with about a metre of each colour on a bobbin and join in more as you go; the pattern pages list how many knots each colour ties, so you can see which one needs the most.

You can enter the wrist in centimetres or inches; the arithmetic is the same once converted.

Worked example

A wrist measures 15.5 cm and you want 1.5 cm of ease. Your pattern is 12 knots wide.

1. Finished length is 15.5 + 1.5 = 17 cm, which is 170 mm.
2. Rows needed: 170 ÷ 2 = 85 rows.
3. Base strings: 12, one under each knot.
4. Cut length for each base string: 17 cm + 30 cm = 47 cm.

So you would cut 12 base strings of 47 cm each and knot 85 rows. If your name chart is, say, 40 rows long, you could knot it twice with a few rows of background between repeats, or centre it with background rows at each end.

For an inch measurement, convert first: a 6-inch wrist is 6 × 2.54 = 15.24 cm.

Rows and cut lengths with 1 cm ease

With a 2 mm row, every extra centimetre of wrist adds five rows, which makes quick adjustments easy to do in your head.

Tips

• Measure your own row height. Tension varies a lot between knotters. Knot a short sample, measure ten rows, and enter the real figure; even 2.2 mm instead of 2 mm changes a bracelet by several rows.
• Plan repeats before you knot. Divide the rows needed by the length of your motif to see how many repeats fit, then pad with background rows.
• Keep the ties generous. The 30 cm allowance suits a simple braided or knotted tie. If you want sliding knots or long tassels, add more.
• Label your base strings. With a dozen or more strings, taping them to a clipboard in order saves mix-ups.
• Design the chart first. The alpha text tool lets you fix the pattern width, so the chart and this calculator use the same number. The alpha bracelet basics guide covers the knots themselves.