how to make an andean plying bracelet using a book and an index card

I suck at andean plying on my hand, it really hurts and I hate it but it is my absolute favorite method of plying once the nightmare of making the bracelet is over. I've tried lots of ways to avoid hurting my fingers like using a size 15 needle held against my hand instead of my finger, using a little DPN... stuff like that never works but using a book and an index card does such a great job!

First grab a book, better if it's one that isn't pretty anymore and has been very loved. It won't mess up your pages but it could make the cover get bent. Also get an index card or a popsicle stick, I'm a college student so I have tons of index cards and use one folded up in 3 even sections like this.

 

Step 2: Just stick your index card in the middle of the pages, it's best if you put it near the center of both length and width of the book.

Step 3: Put the tail in the middle of the pages so you don't lose it (I'm using already plyed yarn for the demo because I don't have anything that needs plying at the moment)

 

Step 4: Wrap the yarn around the back of the book around the index card

 

Step 5: Loop around the front so that the string crosses in an x on the spine of the book. I wrapped from right to left on the back of the book and right to left on the front of the book, when I bring the yarn to the back of the book I move it over to the right again (I hope that makes sense). Basically, always start your loops on the right which will force the string to cross at the spine. 

 

Just keep wrapping like you're doing a normal plying bracelet!

Remember that it's the overlapping sections of loop that hold the bracelet together so make sure to pile the loops over each other a lot and don't just build straight up the index card 

Your final bracelet should look at a lot like this

 

Enjoy not making your fingers turn blue!