Free alpha bracelet patterns

Alpha bracelets are knotted row by row over vertical base strings, so the patterns here are long, narrow repeats. Each page lists how many base strings and colours you need, and the PDF includes every row written out so you can follow along without counting squares.

Use the bracelet calculator to work out how many rows go round your wrist, and the text tool to add a name in the middle of any design.

If you are new to alpha bracelets, start with a design that uses two colours and a short repeat, such as a zigzag or a check: you only change working colour every few knots, and a mistake is easy to spot within one repeat. Three- and four-colour designs need you to carry more strings at once, so keep them loosely wound on bobbins or clipped out of the way.

Most designs here repeat every few rows, so you can stop at the end of any repeat once the bracelet is long enough. Leave about 30 cm of base string beyond the knotted section at each end for tying or braiding the ends, and tape the top of the base strings to a table or clipboard so the rows stay straight as you work.