Candy stripe friendship bracelet

How to make a candy stripe bracelet

1. Cut and set up. Cut 8 strings about 90 cm (36 in) long, 2 of each colour. Knot them together about 8 cm from the top, tape the knot down, and lay them out in colour pairs: A A B B C C D D.
2. Knot across. Take the far-left string. Tie a forward knot over the string next to it, then the next, all the way across. It ends on the far right.
3. Repeat. Take the string that is now on the far left and knot it across in the same way. Each pass adds one diagonal row of knots.
4. Finish. When it fits your wrist, tie an overhand knot and braid the ends to tie it on.

The four knots

Every normal friendship bracelet is made from four knots. Each one is two half hitches, and each shows the colour of the string that does the knotting.

• Forward knot. Make a "4" shape with the left string over the right one, loop it under and back up through the gap, and pull it up to the top. Do it twice. The left colour shows and that string moves one place right.
• Backward knot. The mirror image: a backward "4" with the right string over the left one, twice. The right colour shows and that string moves one place left.
• Forward-backward knot (>). One forward half hitch, then one backward. The left colour shows and both strings stay where they were.
• Backward-forward knot (<). One backward half hitch, then one forward. The right colour shows and both strings stay put.

Hold the string being knotted over tight while you pull, so each knot slides up neatly. That's what keeps patterns even.

Next, try the chevron, which adds the backward knot, or browse all friendship bracelet patterns.