Alpha Pattern Maker

Make an alpha pattern for a friendship bracelet from a name, a word, a drawing or a picture, free and with no sign-up. Type your words, pick the letter style and width, and see the chart and how the bracelet will read on your wrist. Every row is written out in tying order, such as “Row 1 (left to right, forward knots, 11 knots): 3 A, 2 B, 6 A”, so you can count knots rather than squint at a chart. You also get how many base strings to cut and how long, for tie-off ends or a loop, a row tracker, and a PDF with the chart and a tick box for every row. Words stay in your browser.

100% private — everything runs in your browser. Your words and pictures stay in your browser; the PDF, PNG, CSV and TXT files are made on your device.

How to make an alpha pattern

1. Type your words. Lower case becomes capitals, and <3 becomes a heart.
2. Choose the letter style, the width in base strings and the length in rows. The tool widens the chart if the letters need it.
3. Pick your colours, or paint knots on the chart with the pen and fill tools.
4. Choose how you tie it, and cut the strings listed under Strings to cut.
5. Tape down the strings and tie row 1 at the top of the chart, left to right in forward knots, then row 2 back in backward knots.
6. Press Next row to track your place, or download the PDF and tick off each row.

What you can use it for

• Name bracelets for friends, teams and camp
• Words and short phrases on a friendship bracelet
• Small pixel pictures, drawn on the grid or made from a picture
• Bookmarks, keychains and straps with a name on them
• Matching bracelets with the same words in different colours
• Counting how many knots of each colour a design needs

Worked example: reading two rows

Take a 4-wide chart with the top row A A B A and the second row B B B A. Row 1 is read from the left. Row 2 comes back from the right, so its colours are listed from right to left.

Row	Direction	Knots	Written out
1	left to right	forward	2 A, 1 B, 1 A
2	right to left	backward	1 A, 3 B

Letter styles and widths

Letters	Letter height (knots)	Base strings needed for EMMA	Rows for EMMA, with plain ends	About (cm)
Classic (7 tall)	7	7	28	6
Bold (7 tall)	7	7	32	7
Small (5 tall)	5	5	20	4
Big (14 tall)	14	14	50	10

These widths are the minimum. Add 2 to 4 base strings to leave a background line along each edge. Rows are counted at about 5 rows per cm and always rounded up to an even number.

How many rows does a name take?

Words	Rows of letters	Rows with plain ends	About (cm)
MIA	15	20	4.0
EMMA	23	28	5.6
FRIENDS	39	44	8.8
BEST FRIENDS	65	70	14.0

Classic letters on 11 base strings. For a full bracelet of about 86 rows, centre the words or choose Repeat the words.

What the terms mean

Term	Meaning
Base strings	The strings that run the length of the bracelet. They set the width, and you tie onto them.
Leading (working) string	The string that ties the knots across a row. Its colour shows.
Forward knot	Tied when working left to right.
Backward knot	Tied when working right to left.
Row	One pass across all the base strings, with one knot on each.
Alpha	A pattern tied in straight rows, unlike the slanted knots of a normal pattern.

Tips for alpha bracelets

• Keep the base strings straight and pull each knot snug. That is what keeps the edges even.
• Keep two plain rows at each end of the words, so the text does not run into the ties. The tool adds them for you.
• Tie 10 test rows first and measure them, then enter your own rows per cm for a true length.
• Plan a bigger picture with the Pixel Art Maker, or print blank squares with the Graph Paper.
• Stringing beads rather than knots? The Bead Pattern Maker does loom, peyote and brick stitch.

Frequently asked questions

What is an alpha pattern?

An alpha pattern is a friendship bracelet pattern tied in straight rows of horizontal knots, so it reads like a grid. Each square on the chart is one knot in one colour. That makes it the usual choice for letters, names and small pictures, which is where the name comes from.

How do you read an alpha pattern?

On our charts, row 1 is the top row: tie it first, nearest the tape, and work down. Odd rows go left to right in forward knots, and even rows go right to left in backward knots. Each square shows the colour of that knot, and the arrows beside the chart show the direction of each row. Patterns from other places can start at a different end, so check their key.

How many strings do I need for an alpha bracelet?

One base string for each column, plus one leading string for each colour. An 11-wide chart in 2 colours uses 11 base strings and 2 leading strings. The width comes from the base strings only, so adding colours does not make the bracelet wider.

How long should I cut the strings?

Base strings barely shorten as you tie, so cut them to the finished length plus your ties: 38 cm for a 17 cm bracelet with 10 cm ties at each end. Double that if you fold them for a loop. Leading strings are hard to predict, so work from the skein and cut them when you finish.

How many rows make a bracelet?

About 80 to 90 rows fits most wrists. As a starting estimate, alpha rows run about 5 per cm, or about 12 per inch, but your knots may differ. Tie 10 rows, measure them and enter your own figure.

How wide should a name bracelet be?

Classic letters are 7 knots tall, so use 9 to 11 base strings to leave a line of background on each side. Small letters are 5 tall and suit 7 to 9 base strings. Big letters are 14 tall and need at least 14.

Why must the row count be even?

It isn’t a rule, but an even count brings your leading strings back to the side where you started, which makes the ends easier to finish. The tool rounds the length up to an even number when it writes your words.

Do the letters read the right way?

Yes. Along the bracelet is the default: the letters lie on their side on the chart, so they read left to right when you wear the bracelet with row 1 on your left. The On the wrist preview shows how it will look. Tick Read it from the other end to swap it, or choose Stacked for upright letters.

Can I use more than two colours?

Yes, up to 12. Use one leading string per colour and carry the colours you are not using along the back of the row. With two colours there is another way: use one colour for the base strings, so that colour shows when the base string ties over the working string.

Which letters are included?

Capitals A to Z, numbers 0 to 9, some punctuation, a heart, a star and a smile. Accents are dropped, so Zoë becomes ZOE. Letters from other alphabets are not included yet, but you can draw them on the grid.

Is this free, and are my words saved?

Yes, it is free with no sign-up and no watermark. Your words and pictures stay in your browser and are not stored or sent anywhere.