Kandi cuff patterns

A cuff pattern is a grid. Every cell is one bead, and the color in the cell is the color of that bead. The hard part is not reading it, it is choosing a pattern that will actually look good at bead size. Here is how to do both.

Reading the chart

Cuff patterns come in two shapes, and it matters which one you have.

• Ladder charts are a plain grid. Rows are straight, columns are straight, and the finished cuff looks exactly like the chart.
• Multi-stitch charts have every other column shifted down by half a bead, like brickwork. That is how the beads actually sit in a multi-stitch cuff, so a good multi-stitch chart is drawn that way too.

Most charts also have a legend: a list of the colors with a letter or number for each, and how many beads of that color you need. In KandiCon the colors are lettered A, B, C and so on, so a chart can be printed in black and white and still be read.

The last thing a good pattern gives you is the build order. In KandiCon, the ladder view numbers every bead row by row, and the multi-stitch view numbers each column from bottom to top in the exact order you add the beads. You follow the numbers and never have to guess which end to start from.

Choosing the size

For a cuff that goes around the wrist, the number of beads around is set by your wrist, not by the picture. Multi-stitch needs an even number, and most wrists land around 28 to 34 beads. The width of the cuff is up to you: five rounds is a slim band, ten is a proper cuff, fifteen or more is a statement.

A picture laid across a cuff can be any length. Each pony bead is about 9mm, so a pattern 20 beads long is about 7 inches, and one 40 beads long is about 14 inches, long enough to wrap twice.

How many colors

Fewer than you think. Pony beads are big, so a cuff has far fewer "pixels" than a photo. Three to five colors usually read clearly from across a room. Eight to twelve colors can work on a wide cuff with a big, simple subject. Past that, colors start to blur together and you spend a lot of money on bags you use ten beads from.

KandiCon's pattern maker has four starting levels that reflect this:

• Simple: 12 beads wide, 3 colors.
• Medium: 20 wide, 5 colors.
• Detailed: 30 wide, 8 colors.
• Intricate: 40 wide, 12 colors.

You can change the size and the number of colors (anywhere from 2 to 16) after you pick a level.

What makes a good cuff picture

• Bold shapes beat fine detail. A cartoon face works. A crowd photo does not.
• Strong outlines. A black outline around a character makes it readable even at 12 beads wide.
• A plain background. One background color, or the background cut out, keeps the subject clear.
• High contrast. Two colors that are close in brightness will blur into one at bead size.

Making your own pattern

You can draw a pattern bead by bead in the Pattern Studio, or start from a photo or an emoji and let KandiCon work out the grid. Either way you get the chart, the legend, the bead list with spares, and the build order. Photo to bead pattern explains how the photo part works. If you are new to cuffs, learn the stitch first with kandi stitches explained.

Where the patterns are

The KandiCon library has starter patterns sorted by faces, animals, food and hearts, each with its size and how many colors it needs. Makers in the community publish their own patterns too, and you can like them, comment on them, save them and make them in your own colors. When you finish, post the cuff to the feed so the person who made the pattern can see it. See also kandi patterns for singles, word bracelets and 3D. And yes, if you were searching for Candicon patterns, these are them.

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More guides: How to make a kandi bracelet · Kandi stitches explained · Pony beads guide · 3D kandi and charms