Warped Alphas
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wzrdn
Skiller
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2 weeks ago by wzrdn
I've been making several alphas using, straight edge and flat alpha, and occasionally clean back alpha techniques. I seem to have a recurring issue where the shape gets warped and widened as I go. If I lay the bottom edge of a bracelet along the top to compare, the top is more narrow than the bottom. It's like my base strings are flaying out. (Photos on my page show this) I feel like this is a knot tension issue but I can't seem to figure out if I am tying too tight or too loose. Anyone have advice or experienced the same issue? |
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ningc98
Bracelet King
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2 weeks ago by ningc98
you’re right, it is a knot tension issue. at the top, your knots are tighter, but as you get to the bottom, the knots get looser. try making the first half of every knot with the same amount of tension, otherwise the alpha will get warped. another thing you could do is try using your fingertip to push the bottoms of the alpha inward. however that may knot help as much as using the same tension on all knots. my key advice tho will be to practice, practice, practice. after practicing a lot, you’ll have find a perfect tension for yourself and your fingers will have gotten muscle memory on the tightness. hope this helps!
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wzrdn
Skiller
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2 weeks ago by wzrdn
@ningc98 thanks ❤️ ! I did notice the first half sort of places the knot where I want it to be in a row, so I'm trying to use that to set where I want them to end up. I'll try tightening that part more.I'll keep practicing! 😊 |
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EggMan
Bracelet King
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2 weeks ago by EggMan
Also, try and make sure your work is well-secured. I've found that when the piece isn't flailing around every time I move the strings, I tend to be able to keep my tension more consistent.
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halokiwi
Super Moderator
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2 weeks ago by halokiwi
You might have also placed the base strings too close together in the beginning. Especially when using a keyring that might be a little too small that can happen. It can also happen, if you use a dowel and put all larks head knots right next to each other.
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arccrabe
Bracelet King
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2 weeks ago by arccrabe
Another thing that could help is taking breaks to cut off the mess in the back of alpha. If you’re doing an alpha that has a lot of color switches and dragging then it can pull of the knots. Usually halfway through the alpha is when I cut off the excess thread in the back.
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arccrabe
Bracelet King
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2 weeks ago by arccrabe
Also, if you’re working on an alpha with a background color, don’t be afraid to have multiple threads of that color for each side. It’ll prevent pulling.
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wzrdn
Skiller
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2 weeks ago by wzrdn
@EggMan oh very good advice! I do tend to forget to move my anchor down as I'm working. Thank you!!!@halokiwi ohh yeah, the most dramatic changes I see are with larks head knots. Thank you! I'll remember to space them more at the beginning. @arccrabe I do occasionally cut the back "travelling" strings when they're long, but I always assumed that having them would warp it in a way that makes it smaller? I'll certainly do it more so to see if that helps. And definitely will be using multiple leading strings of a background color in the future. When I was working on #118196, I regretted not using multiple black leading strings. Biggest pattern I've tried, and I feel like that would have helped a lot. Thanks for everyone's feedback!!! Very much appreciated ❤️ |
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stewon6969
Bracelet King
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4 days, 6 hours ago by stewon6969
This is a knot tension issue. You just need to experiment with the tightness of your knots. With your problem in mind, purposefully loosen your knots toward the top of the alpha and as you make your way down start knotting tighter. Even if this is too extreme, at least you have addressed your problem. Now, just work on having consistent tension and control! Trial and error amirite? Hope this helps!
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