@camilleion You can just leave the strings at the sides out of the knots so they're visible when the bracelet is finished. If you do that, they can be loose like how you're describing, but you can avoid that by gently pulling on them (not pulling them out, just enough so they stay in place) while you're working with them.
@camilleion Yes, it is "shaped" because of the places at the edges where there are no knots. I hope this helps. If you have another question, feel free to ask.
smiley00
