How To Make Color Switches In An Alpha

There are two ways to make a color switch in an alpha: the regular color-switching method and the flat alpha method. In this tutorial I am going to teach both ways through pattern #42308 by @theresew. I give full credit to @theresew for this pattern, and it is an amazing pattern, so please check it out!

Before we begin, choose your pattern and prepare your base strings and colors. Remember, the base strings are strings that you knot onto with your leading string. You change leading strings in order to change colors in your bracelet. Make sure you have the right amount of base strings, as indicated by the pattern. Then, make a starting loop, triangle start, or just tape your base strings down to your table without any special start. We are now ready to start making the pattern!

The regular color-switching method is the same process as replacing a short or broken string. To the left is a step-by-step collage of me doing the regular color-switch method. The knot is the 7th knot on line 7 in #42308 from light yellow to dark yellow.

1. Tape your new string behind your bracelet. Skip this step if you have already knotted with this color. I skipped this step because I already made knots with the dark yellow.

2. Place your current leading string behind the bracelet. If you are making forward knots, place it under the bracelet and to the right. If you are making backward knots, place it under the bracelet and to the left.

3. Simply knot your new leading string over your next base string.

4. Continue knotting as normal with your new base string until you reach your next color switch.

The flat alpha method is a little bit trickier, but it has some restrictions, which I will explain later on. To the left is a step-by-step collage of the flat alpha method using the same knot with the same colors.

1. Tape your new leading string to your workspace behind your bracelet and place your current leading string up and over your bracelet. Again, skip this step if you have already knotted with this color. I skipped this step because I already made knots with the dark yellow.

2. Make the first half of the knot with your new leading string.

3. Place your new leading string up and over your bracelet.

4. Place your current leading string over the first knot and to the right if you are making a forward knot and to the left if you are making a backward knot.

5. Make the second half the knot with your new leading string on top of your current leading string.

6. Continue knotting as normal with your new string until you reach another color switch.

There are a couple of instances where the flat alpha method will not work. These instances are if there is a color switch at the last knot of a row or if there is a color switch as the first knot of the row. The flat alpha method will not work because the string that you put across the first half of the knot will stick out of the side of the bracelet. To fix this, use the regular color-switching, method. In #42308, both of these instances occur.

Line 4 starts with a color switch from dark yellow to light yellow.

There is a color switch from dark yellow to light yellow on the last knot of line 11.

Despite these restrictions, I prefer the flat alpha method because, even though it is trickier, it will make sure that your alpha is less bumpy than if you only use the regular color-switching method.

To the left is my finished bracelet for the pattern! I mainly used the flat alpha technique but switched to the regular color-switching method because there were color-switches on the first knot on some rows and on the last knot on some rows. I also used the straight edges technique, in which I made backward-forward knots with my leading string on every left-most string, and I made forward-backward knots with my leading string on every right-most string.

Here is a Youtube tutorial by Masha Knots on how to do the regular color-switching method.

And here is a Youtube tutorial by Masha Knots on how to do the flat alpha method.

I hope this tutorial was helpful for those who are confused about how to make color switches in an alpha. If you have any questions or if you have any requests for future tutorials, please feel free to private message me or comment down below! Have a great day everybody and happy knotting!!! 😄❤️