could you make a blanket/big project using the alpha bracelet techniques?
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itaadastra
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2 months, 3 weeks ago by itaadastra
hey, new poster herei’ve made quite a few (~15) alpha bracelets, and they’ve all turned out really good. for my boyfriends birthday, i was thinking to make him a blanket of his favorite movie (it’s princess and the frog XD). i was planning to use yarn or chunky crochet string for bases and knots . has anyone ever done a big project like this? if so, tips or suggestions? is it even possible to get a good result using this strategy? thanks 😄 |
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EggMan
Bracelet King
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2 months, 3 weeks ago by EggMan
Listen. This is, TECHNICALLY, possible. You can, TECHNICALLY, make a project large enough to constitute a blanket. BUT it will take so much time, and so much material, and a very, very, large pattern. I don't recommend it, but if you are very adamant, use the thickest yarn you can find (blanket yarns come to mind. They are both very thick and very soft), and making a size gauge. Make a 10 by 10 square with the yarn you intend on using, and measure its size. That should help you calculate the number of stitches and rows you'll need for the blanket to be the size you want. (to decide on blanket size, either measure a blanket you have, or consult a blanket size chart online). Keep your knots loose while you work, since over tightening them could lead to the blanket being weirdly stiff.Another thing to consider is that you will not only need a lot of time, but a lot of space. The short side of a throw blanket (smaller blanket) is 127 cm (50 inch). That means that to make one, you will need 127 cm of flat work area to secure your base strings to. The long side of a throw blanket is 152 cm (60 inch). That means you will have at least 152 cm of base strings trailing on the floor as you work. All in all, I don't think it's a realistic project. Hope is not lost, though! There are other ways to use an alpha pattern to make a very large project. How willing are you to learn how to crochet CTC (corner to corner)? That method of crocheting allows the use of pixelated patterns to create some stunning results, and it's much larger than knots. @FROOOG has some beautiful work done with this method on their page, and there are a ton of tutorials online for this. Furthermore, I'm sure your boyfriend would be just as happy getting a wall-hanging or a bookmark. It's still incredible work, and I'm sure he'll appreciate all the effort you're putting into this gift. You are clearly willing to go to extreme length for him, and it's extremely thoughtful of you. I hope you'll still make something cool with that pattern, even if it's not what you thought it would. Have fun with this. Good luck! |
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itaadastra
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2 months, 3 weeks ago by itaadastra
hello!thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for the help! now that you point it out, a blanket would be really difficult to make. however, his birthday is at the end of february, so i don't have time to learn crocheting. maybe next year tho 😄 do you think it's possible to make an alpha design bigger/scale it up just by increasing the # of knots, like doing 3 knots for each knot in the pattern, or would that ruin it? i'm now planning on making like a wall hanging with a poster design but all of them are too small for the size i want also, are there any other yarn types you would recommend for this crazy project? apologies if this is bothering you |
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EggMan
Bracelet King
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2 months, 3 weeks ago by EggMan
You're not bothering me at all!You could resize a pattern like this, yes, just make sure to do it to both sides (both length and width). If you want to have an actual pattern to work with, I strongly suggest using a pixel art program or website, like pixilart.com. It's free to use, and you can download what ever you make onto your computer when you're done. I think they also have an app. You can copy the pattern onto the site, then go to file, resize canvas. Enter your new values (new width and length that are twice/triple/etc the initial value. I would start by doubling it, then see how it feels). For it to look like an actual pattern, go to settings, and activate the grid option. That should show you how many knots to put in each area. You can also copy the pattern to the site, download a bigger version of it to your computer (it's in the download menu on pixilart), then put it into Braceletbook's image-to-alpha pattern generator with size values that you want. That would create a pattern that looks the same, but with more knots per square. 🔥 IMPORTANT: 🔥 if you use any of these methods, make sure to only use the resulting pattern for your personal need. Do not upload it anywhere, as the design is not yours. You can keep the design in your “create patterns” area for your own use. If you want a pattern of a specific thing, you can also post about it in the request forum, and someone might make it. Make sure to give clear information of what you want, like what should be in the pattern, size, and style examples. That should increase the chances for the pattern to be made. Alternatively, you can just use thicker thread. I recommend sticking to cotton, since it's a less fuzzy fiber, but you can totally buy some skeins of thicker cotton yarn, and use that. The size difference from embroidery floss is substantial, especially when it comes to the width of the work (the knots are also more square, which I LOVE). Just make sure you buy the same weight (thickness for yarn peeps) of yarn all around. If you can get them from the same company, even better. Last tip: if you want to reply to a specific person, you can tag them like so -> @EggMan. That will send them a notification that someone mentioned them, and let them know to come and read what you wrote. You can do this anywhere on the site that lets you write, but notifications will only be sent when it's public. If you do it in DMs, it just makes a link, with no notification. Feel free to ask more questions! I would love to assist where I can. |
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EggMan
Bracelet King
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2 months, 3 weeks ago by EggMan
And I'm gonna mention making a size gauge for the thread you plan on using in order to get a solid idea for the size of the finished product. It's mentioned in my first comment, in the first paragraph. It can also help with figuring out the length your base strings should be.
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goregirl
Skiller
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2 weeks, 4 days ago by goregirl
You could in theory make a blanket. However, if you intend to use embroidery thread or craft cord, it would be a very lengthy process as these are very thin. I also wouldn’t imagine they would be too comfortable. Would look really cool as a wall hanging/display. You could always go the route of yarn and do knitting/crochet
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kpn
Bracelet King
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2 weeks, 4 days ago by kpn
You could do a corner to corner crochet stitch and easily make a 100x200 pattern into a sufficiently sized blanket
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