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(( Patterns )) Multi-Colored Alpha Bracelets

Table of contents
1. Introduction 2. Simple 2-color alpha 3. Simple vertical string substitution 4. Background color substitution 5. String substitution during tying 6. Multiple letter strings 7. Combining the methods

Introduction

This tutorial is supposed to teach you how to make multicolor alpha pattern bracelets. That is, more than two colors. Make sure you understand two-colored alpha bracelets before reading this. It can be a bit confusing if you don't.
(See the tutorial Alpha/letter patterns). This tutorial can be confusing if you haven't.

Simple 2-color alpha

Now, recall how to make alpha bracelets. An ordinary 2-color alpha bracelet may be described like this:

What does the "down" arrow mean? If you are doing a row of forward knots, the "down" arrow means to do a backward knot. If you are doing a row of backward knots, the "down" arrow means to do a forward knot. It should be clear if you know how to do two-colored alphas.

Simple vertical string substitution

Now, the task here was to make a pattern with more than 2 colors. We begin with the simplest case: arranging your "letter strings" or "base strings" in this order: light blue, red, green, dark blue, light blue. That will make this result:

This is the most simple version of multicolor bracelets there is.

Background color substitution

Now we are going to make things a little more difficult for us. The "background color" (orange) is being substituted once for a yellow thread. That would make the bracelet half orange, half yellow. The below image shows how this is done by just joining the threads with a simple knot.

You can also do this without adding or removing any thread. Before you begin tying, replace the leftmost blue string with a yellow one. Replace the last (left most) knot on the second row with a forward-backward knot. When you have done this, the yellow string should be the leftmost string. Take it and continue tying with this string as background string.

String substitution during tying

Now we have done two kinds of multicolor alpha patterns. But the tutorial does not stop here. You may want to change the "letter" color sometimes too. What if you want the squares to be blue, yellow, blue, yellow, and so on?

Setup the strings as you want to make an ordinary bracelet with only blue squares (like the first example I made in this tutorial). The mission is then to substitute the blue knots for yellow ones every second square.

The method is simple. Just sneak in a yellow thread when it is time to make a yellow knot. Take a look at the image below.

Let's go through the steps, beginning on row 6 from right to left.

Row 6

1. An orange knot is made with an ordinary forward knot to the left.
2. The orange string that you just used is brought aside. Instead, a yellow string is brought in. Use it to make forward knots onto the three blue strings in the middle.
3. Now it's time for an orange knot again. The yellow string is brought aside. Where is the orange string now again? It is way out to the right. Solution: just jump over the latest 3 yellow knots on the back of the bracelet to reach its home again. Make a left forward knot.

Row 7

4. Make an ordinary right forward knot with the orange background thread.
5. Put the orange thread aside and bring in the yellow one again. Make a forward knot with the yellow thread.
6. Put the yellow string aside. Jump over the last knot with the orange string and make an orange forward knot.
7. Put the orange string aside again. Use the yellow thread and make a right forward knot.
8. Put the yellow string aside. Make an orange knot with the orange string.

Row 8 is exactly as row 6, so follow the instructions for that row.

Loose strings

The loose yellow thread needs to be fastened before it is introduced. It can be done by weaving it into earlier knots.
There will also be loose strings when jumping here and there with the different strings. There is nothing to do really, and it does not matter if they hang a bit loose on the back of the bracelet.

Put aside?

In the tutorial, I talk about putting strings aside. What I mean is that the string should be pulled to the back of the bracelet (from you, not towards you). If you do the opposite, then the loose threads will be visible in the nice side of the bracelet, and that is not really the goal.

Multiple letter strings

The key thing about this method is replacing one letter string with several strings. In the example I will show you, I will add one blue with a blue string and a yellow one.

When the letter strings are two, it is very easy to choose between them when it is time to make a letter colored knot. In the image above, these knots are recognized by the arrows pointing downwards. Simply use the string in the desired color when it is time. The string that is not used can be hidden on the back of the bracelet.

You can replace a string with three or even more other strings. The backside of this is that the bracelet can become thick and the knots may be deformed.