In a recent post, we learned how to fingerweave friendship bands in diagonal stripe and chevron patterns. Today, lets look at how we can make lengthwise stripes, checks, and other designs.
To make diagonal stripes and chevrons, each strand in the design took a turn at being the ‘working’ strand, which the other strands were knotted around. This meant that all our strands could start out the same length. To make legthwise stripes and other patterns, only one strand is the ‘working’ strand, and weaves backwards and forwards across the width of the band, as we tie the other strands round it to form the pattern. This means that your working strand needs to be much longer than the other strands. I usually leave one strand attached to the skein, so I don’t risk running out of working thread toward the end of the design.
To make horizontal stripes, lay out your threads in the order you want your stripes, with the long working thread to the rightmost side.
Working from right to left, knot each pattern thread in turn, using a forward knot, around the working thread. You’ll notice that this is the opposite to making a diagonal stripe, where the working thread is tied round each other strand in turn.
Your working thread should be to the far left at this point. Now change direction, tying a backwards knot with each pattern thread in turn around the working thread, from left to right.
Your working thread has now gone across the band in both directions. You’ll notice that you don’t see your working thread at all.
Repeat the whole process as many times as you wish to make a striped band.
To make a checked pattern, every few rows you’ll reverse the process, so instead of tying the pattern threads around the working thread, you’ll tie the working thread round the pattern threads. Use the opposite knot for these rows as well – a backward knot for a right-to-left row and a forward knot for a left-to-right row.
A similar process is used to make other designs. This time, your working thread should be in your chosen pattern colour, and your other strands should be in the background colour(s).
Work plain background rows in the same way as for stripes. When you want to add a pattern knot, tie the working thread around the background thread, instead of the backround thread round the working thread. Use the opposite knot – if you’re working the background row in forward knots, use a backward knot, and vice versa. Basically, wherever you are in the pattern, the background thread you just used should be pointing in the opposite direction to the way you’re working. So if you’re going right to left, the background coloured strand you just knotted should always point to the right of the working thread.
You can make any number of different patterns this way, including lettering and other designs.
