I was trolling Pinterest the other day (read: every day) and I came across these fabulous bangles. Obviously, I’m far from actually creating every cute projects that I pin, but every now and then one comes along that is too adorable to not actually execute. Good thing Thanksgiving rolled around and I found myself with some relaxing family time well suited to knitting.
They were pretty simple and gratifying to make, not to mention easily customizable. In other words, the perfect Christmas gift. For the base, I started with this set of three bangles that I got from H&M for about $10.
Then, I selected my color palette. Blue, orange, and gray just seemed right for this time of year. And for my wardrobe.
I measured the bangles at about 6″ in circumference. With US 2 double-pointed needles, I got a gauge of 6 stitches to the inch so, starting with the cable bangle, I cast on 60 stitches and joined them in a round. I worked a simple cable pattern as follows:
Row 1-4: *P6, K4; repeat from * around the entire row.
Row 5: *P6, slip 2 stitches onto a cable needle and hold in front, K2 next two stitches, K2 stitches from the cable needle; repeat from * around the entire row.
Repeat rows 1-5 until you have the necessary length to wrap around your cuff. I just held up my knitting to the cuff periodically to check the fit. You want it to be snug around the cuff so make sure you get just barely enough length. Then, simply cast off, wrap the knitting around your cuff, and sew the seam together (you can sew the seam around the outside of the cuff, then slide it toward the inside– much easier).
The other two bangles were even easier to make. I cast on the same 60 stitches, and worked in stockinette (for the blue) or reverse stockinette (for the gray). But you could also try a ribbing or seed stitch pattern as well.
To be honest, I don’t normally wear bracelets but I’ve been enjoying these. Colorful, bold, and fiber– my kind of accessory.
I’m definitely not done experimenting with these. And a fair warning: if we’re friends and you don’t want a pair of these for Christmas, now would be the time to start dropping subtle hints.
Love these!
You have a bright and cheery blog, as well as your needlework. Thank you for the instructions for hand appliqué from the Martingale blog. Your instructions are easy to follow. When my life settles down, I’d love to do more appliqué. For now it’s primarily machine piecing and quilting. Love the picture of your pet bunny!! Keep up the good work!
wonderful post, thank you.
Those are so cute and cozy! Love them