THE BRACELET HANDBOOK / 01
A finished pattern is only the beginning.
KNOTTRACE is a friendship bracelet pattern decoder for normal patterns. Paint the visible knot colors, set your starting threads, and explore a verified sequence of forward, backward, forward-backward and backward-forward knots. The studio works locally in your browser: no account or image upload is needed.
How to decode a friendship bracelet
Choose a sample, then paint individual knots. Even rows pair strands 1–2, 3–4 and so on; alternate rows begin with strands 2–3 and leave the outer strands unknotted. Select Decode to search the four knot choices at every position. A result is labelled verified only after a forward simulation reproduces every target color. Changing the design invalidates the previous solution.
The four essential knots
F · Forward: the left strand makes both half-hitches and the strands exchange positions. B · Backward: the right strand makes both half-hitches and the strands exchange positions. FB · Forward-backward: the left strand makes the visible knot and returns to its original side. BF · Backward-forward: the right strand makes the visible knot and returns to its original side. Each symbol represents a complete knot made of two half-hitches.
Why can one pattern have several answers?
Surface color does not uniquely determine strand movement. A left-colored knot can be F or FB; a right-colored knot can be B or BF. Identical thread colors make more paths visually indistinguishable. The solver searches a bounded set of states and compares up to six verified paths. It searches the chosen starting arrangement and its reversal, with optional cyclic rotations; it does not enumerate every possible starting color order.
Normal patterns and alpha patterns
Normal patterns use alternating diagonal pairs, so the available colors depend on which two threads meet. Alpha patterns typically use a working thread knotted around base threads in rows. This studio implements normal patterns only. Photo tracing and alpha conversion are not included. A pixel image is not automatically a physically valid normal pattern.
Reading the X-Ray and making the bracelet
After decoding, switch to X-Ray and select a numbered strand. Follow its route from the top to the bottom. The player highlights one complete knot at a time and describes the two participating strands. Cut extra thread, make a small test swatch and check your tension before starting a long bracelet. SVG and PNG export preserve the chart; Print can save a PDF through your browser.
Thread length and mistakes
The budget counts how often each strand acts as the working strand. Its length estimate uses your own centimeters-per-knot calibration plus the desired bracelet length and tie allowance. Tension, fiber thickness and knot style change actual use. To repair a mistake, stop at the first wrong knot and gently undo later knots in reverse order; the studio does not claim to calculate a repair for an already-made bracelet.
Your first five minutes in the studio.
Start with Chevron and leave the strand count at eight. Choose a color story to change the palette without changing the knot structure. Pick a swatch, then tap a target knot to paint. One knot changes a single position; Row colors an entire row; Matching color replaces every instance of the tapped color. Mirror painting also paints the corresponding knot across the bracelet’s center.
Select Decode. A green verified result means a complete knot sequence has reproduced the target. The studio switches to Inspect mode so tapping the chart lets you examine a knot without repainting it. Switch back to Paint whenever you want to edit the visible design. Use the zoom buttons to work precisely, then Fit to return to the standard view.
When a color cannot reach the knot
At every normal-pattern knot, only the two strands that meet can supply the visible color. An appealing surface drawing may therefore fail with one starting order and succeed with another. Set the starting strand colors by tapping the numbered buttons, or use Reverse and Rotate. Search options can additionally try cyclic rotations and their reversals. These are selected candidate arrangements, not all possible color permutations.
Explore the butterfly effect in Knot Lab
Once a solution is verified, choose Inspect and tap a knot. The laboratory shows its two strand IDs, working strand, and whether the pair swaps positions. Select F, B, FB or BF to replace that one knot. The studio runs the new sequence forward and updates the surface pattern. This is an experiment that changes the target, rather than a new solution to the old target. Undo restores the previous design; decode it again to recover a valid path.
What makes one path easier?
The comparison table counts changes between consecutive knot types, return knots (FB and BF), and the largest number of working knots assigned to one strand. Fewer changes may be easier to remember; fewer return knots may fit your preferred technique; a smaller peak spreads working knots more evenly. These are transparent comparison measures among the found solutions. They do not prove the globally easiest path or the smallest physical thread consumption.
Turn a chart into a making checklist
Check the verified starting order before tying the bracelet. Use the player to advance one complete knot at a time. In the row table, each symbol identifies the knot type and the number beneath it identifies the working strand. Mark completed rows to keep your place. Completion marks are saved separately for each knot sequence on this device, so choosing a different path starts its own checklist.
Save a named design in your personal cabinet to keep up to twelve projects. Saving the same name replaces that cabinet entry. JSON exports preserve the editable target, palette and starting order; they do not contain a claim that the design is verified. Import a JSON file, then decode again. CSV exports contain the verified knot sequence. SVG and PNG preserve the current visual view; use Chart mode when you need visible direction symbols.
A practical troubleshooting desk
| What you see | What to try |
|---|---|
| No verified path | Check the starting colors, try rotated arrangements, or test a shorter section. |
| The X-Ray is empty | Decode the current target first. Editing the pattern clears the previous verified path. |
| The pattern changes in Knot Lab | This is expected: a different knot may send strands to different later positions. Undo to return. |
| A strand runs short | Measure a test swatch and increase your working-centimeters-per-knot calibration and tie allowance. |
| A saved project is missing | Check that you are using the same browser and site. Keep JSON backups before clearing browser data. |
Questions at the workbench
Does “unsolved” mean impossible?
No. A bounded search can stop before finding a valid path. Only a completed exhaustive search for a specified starting arrangement can establish that no exact solution exists for that arrangement. Try another starting order, fewer rows, or fewer colors.
Can it decode a photograph?
This version accepts hand-painted normal-pattern grids. It does not recognize photographs or reconstruct hidden knots from an image.
Is the original knot sequence recovered?
No. A verified solution is one reproducible construction, not proof of the original maker’s method.
Where is my design stored?
Autosave stays in this browser’s local storage. A share link contains your pattern settings in its URL fragment. Anyone with the link can read that design. Clearing browser data removes local drafts.
Can I sell bracelets made with this tool?
The example patterns are simple original demonstrations. Check the rights of any third-party design you copy into the editor. KNOTTRACE is an independent educational tool and is not affiliated with BraceletBook.