Crocheted Alpaca Bracelets

Last Christmas, I knitted a shawl for my sister from baby alpaca yarn. I loved working with the alpaca--it was so soft and luxurious--so I was thrilled when I ended up with a little ball for myself when the shawl was finished. I challenged myself to come up with a project that used the yarn, and after some trial and error, I finally came up with these crocheted bracelets.

You can adapt these designs to any leftover yarn from your stash. Just pick up your favorite crochet hook and follow the simple (and I mean simple) patterns below.

Textured Bracelet

Chain 6 and slip stitch in first stitch for form a ring. Single crochet in each chain, and then work in rounds, making a single crochet through the back loop only of each single crochet. After a few rounds, you'll begin to see a ridged, spiral pattern emerge. Continue working in the single crochet pattern until the length of your crocheted tube fits loosely around your wrist. (You want to be able to slip it over your hand, but not have it so loose that it falls off.) When the tube reaches your desired length, fasten off and cut the yarn, leaving a tail that's a few inches long. Use a large-eyed tapestry needle to sew the two ends of the tube together. Weave in the loose ends and your bangle is finished.

Flat Bracelet

Make a length of chain stitch that fits loosely around your wrist. Slip stitch in the first stitch to form a large ring. Slip stitch in each chain stitch around. Continue working in rounds, slip-stitching in each stitch. Make as many rounds as you like. My bangle is about 3/4 inches wide. (I would have made it wider, but I reached the end of my precious ball of baby alpaca.) To finish, fasten off the cut the yarn. Use a tapestry needle to weave in the ends. Bangle two complete!

These bracelets are fun to wear--they're so soft! I'm going to try this with some of my other leftover yarn.