Sweet Liberty Bracelet Pattern & Tutorial

I wonder if Lady Liberty ever gets tired of her outfit. Sure, she's got classic style - you can't get more classic than a toga - but who wants to look like a Roman matron day in and day out?

Does she ever dream of exchanging those stately draperies for the more free-wheeling look of a breezy blouse, a boho vest, a swingy skirt, some tall suede boots? (Gladiator sandals are old news for her.) As she stands on her pedestal - gathering in the tired, the poor, the huddled masses - does her verdigris soul long for colour and warmth and charm ... for a bit of cheerful adornment ... for a crochet bracelet? Lady Liberty could definitely use a crochet bracelet.

Here's one she might like. Made in patriotic red, cream and blue, it's perfect for a small-town Fourth of July parade, a picnic, the beach, a fireworks display. (You are of course at liberty to use whatever colours you choose.)

What better way to celebrate freedom than with a free pattern?

For this bracelet, you'll need:

Size 10 crochet thread in the colours of your choice
Some size 8 beads - figure on 7 beads per inch of bracelet
A steel crochet hook - I used size 5
A shank button

Let's make a bracelet!

Sweet Liberty Bracelet Crochet Shorthand Instructions

Onto main colour thread, string 7 beads per inch of wrist size (for example, if you have a 7" wrist, you would string 49 beads).

Make center strip: Leaving a 6" tail, ch 6. Join with sl st to form ring. Ch 3, sc in ring.

*Slide a bead down to the hook, ch 3.  TURN and sc in previous ch-3 space.  Repeat from * until bracelet fits around wrist with a slight overlap. If you have any extra beads, you'll need to keep sliding them up the thread until you finish the next round.

Round 1 (inner edging): Do not turn. *Ch 2, sc in ch-3 space to the RIGHT of next bead.  Repeat from *, all the way up the side of the bracelet, back to the beginning ring. (Ch 2, sc in ring) 3 times. Ch 2, sc in first empty ch-3 space at other side of ring.

Now you'll go back up the other side of the bracelet. **Ch 2, sc in ch-3 space to the LEFT of next bead. (You're stitching into the hole directly under the bead, but the hook needs to come in from the left side of the bead.) Repeat from ** to other end of bracelet. Finish with sc in last ch-3 sp. Tie off thread.

Your beads have been pushed to the back of the work.  Turn bracelet around so beaded side is facing you.  This is now the right side of the bracelet.

Round 2 (outer edging):  With edging colour, attach with sc in ending sc of Round 1. Ch 1, hdc in same sc. First shell made.

***Sc in next sc, ch 1, hdc in same stitch (shell). Repeat from *** to starting end of bracelet (where the ch-6 ring is).

Ch 1, shell in next sc (3 times) around starting ring. Then repeat from *** up the other side of bracelet, ending with shell in last sc on that side of bracelet.

Ch 1, shell in end space, ch 1. Join with sl st to first sc of Round 2.

Remove hook from work and set aside. Sew button to bracelet: place shank of button through starting ring, being careful to have the top of button showing on the right side of the work. Using 6" thread tail, sew button to bracelet. Knot thread on back side of bracelet, and cut.

Make button loop: replace hook in edging thread at other end of bracelet. Ch enough stitches to slip over button. TURN and join with sl st to ending sc on opposite side. (Test fit of loop - it should just slip over button. Adjust if necessary.) Ch 1, TURN, sc around loop until full. (My loop was 8 chains long, and I did 10 sc in the loop.) Finish with sl st in loop, then sl st in first sc of Round 2.  Tie off thread.

If any beads have popped to the back while handling bracelet, just pop them back to the front.  And you're done!

Sweet Liberty Bracelet Photo Tutorial with Instructions in Plain English

Note: You can click on any photo to make it larger.

Onto main colour thread, string 7 beads per inch of wrist size (for example, if you have a 7" wrist, you would string 49 beads).

Center strip:

Leaving a 6" tail, chain 6.

Join with slip stitch to form ring.

Chain 3, single crochet in ring.

*Slide ONE bead down to the hook, then chain 3.  The bead will be "trapped" inside the first chain.

TURN and single crochet in previous chain-3 space. (These instructions are repeated under the photos below).

*Slide a bead down close to your hook, then chain 3.
Insert hook from right to left, or back to front,
of the previous chain-3 space (this is equivalent
to turning your work).
Single crochet in the space.

Now your work should look like this:

Repeat this step (slide ONE bead down to hook, chain 3, TURN and single crochet in previous chain-3 space):

(FYI: Here's how I like to hold the beads while working).

Keep repeating that simple step - slide a bead down, chain 3, TURN and single crochet in previous chain-3 space.

Before you know it, your bracelet will look like this:

Looks a bit like a crochet caterpillar

Keep going until the bracelet fits around your wrist with a slight overlap. And here you are - ready for Round 1!

(If you have any extra beads left on the thread, you'll need to keep sliding them away from your work until you finish.)

Round 1 (inner edging):

Do not turn. You're going to go around the corner and start stitching up the long side of the bracelet.

Take a moment to look at this picture.  See the holes made by the chain-3 spaces?  You will be stitching into these holes.

*Chain 2, single crochet in chain-3 space to the RIGHT of next bead.

Chain 2, then single crochet in the space the needle is pointing to.

Repeat from * (chain 2, single crochet in next space to the RIGHT of next bead), all the way up the side of the bracelet, back to the beginning ring.

Do the same thing around the ring: Chain 2 and single crochet in ring, 3 times total.

Chain 2, single crochet in first empty chain-3 space at other side of ring.

Now you're ready to go back up the side of the bracelet, but this time you'll be attaching those single crochets on the LEFT side of the beads, in the hole that is UNDER the beads.  

**Chain 2, single crochet in chain-3 space. The single crochet should be to the LEFT of each bead. 

Repeat from ** all the way to the other end of bracelet.

Finish with a single crochet in last chain-3 space. Tie off thread.

Your beads have been pushed to the back of the work.  Turn the bracelet around, so the beaded side is facing you.  This is now the right side of the bracelet.

Time to add the edging!

Round 2 (outer edging):

With edging colour, attach with single crochet in ending single crochet of Round 1.

Now chain 1, and half-double crochet in that same single crochet.

Your first shell is made!

Keep making shells all down this side of the bracelet: single crochet in next single crochet, chain 1, half-double crochet in same stitch.

Pretty soon you'll be back at the starting ring:

Because you're about to stitch around a curve, you'll need to add a chain between the shells that go around the end of the bracelet.

Chain 1, then make a shell in the next single crochet. Do this twice more.  Now you're ready to go up the other side of the bracelet.

Make regular shells all the way to the other end (single crochet in next single crochet, chain 1 and half-double crochet in same space), ending with a shell in the last single crochet on that side of bracelet.

Chain 1, make a shell in end space, then chain 1 again.

Join with a slip stitch to first single crochet of Round 2.

Remove your hook from the work and set aside. It's time to sew your button to the bracelet.

Place shank of button through the starting ring. Be careful to have the top of button showing on the right side of the work.

Using the 6" thread tail, sew button to bracelet. Knot thread on back side of bracelet, and cut.

We're almost done!  Just one thing left to do: make the button loop.

Replace your hook in the loop of edging thread at other end of bracelet.

Chain enough stitches to slip over button.

TURN and join with slip stitch to ending single crochet on opposite side.

Test the loop to see if it fits - it should just slip over your button. You can undo the slip stitch and add or remove chain stitches if necessary. Just remember to slip stitch it again when adjustments are done!

Chain 1, TURN, and make single crochets in the loop until it's full. (My loop was 8 chains long, and I did 10 single crochets in the loop.)

Finish with a slip stitch in the loop, then slip stitch in first single crochet of Round 2.  Tie off thread.

If any beads have popped to the back while handling bracelet, just pop them back to the front.

And you're done! Isn't it pretty?

Button on your Sweet Liberty and celebrate freedom.

If you have any questions about the pattern, please leave a comment or contact me in Ravelry.  I'll be happy to help.

Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting!

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