Knitted manicure: creating a weaving effect on nails

Hello, dear readers! A manicure with a weaving effect, the so-called “sweater”, looks fascinating and attractive. It seems that only an experienced craftsman can do it. But in fact, it is not so difficult to cope with this task at home - even for those who do not know how to draw or work with acrylic.

In this article we will talk in detail about how to make a knitted manicure with gel polish in various ways, what tools and materials are required for this, and we will give examples with design options.

Basic elements of the pattern

Drawing a sweater on your nails is not a difficult task even for beginners. But of course, first it’s better to practice a little on tips. A typical pattern with imitation weaving may consist of the following main fragments:

Pigtail. It can be drawn with just one element - a slightly curved stroke.

For work it is better to use a brush with short bristles. Most often it is drawn along the entire length of the nail in one or two rows.

Straight lines. They emphasize symmetry and give the entire design a finished look. Usually two or three vertical lines are drawn parallel to the braids or herringbones. It is better to do them with a brush with long bristles - this way they turn out more even and straight.

It is also desirable that their thickness be the same - otherwise the manicure will look sloppy.

Christmas tree. To draw a Christmas tree, it is enough to make two rows of inclined strokes directed in different directions. The main thing is that all strokes have the same angle of inclination. This pattern looks simple, but at the same time very cute.

Diamonds. They are also quite often used in this design, as they resemble patterns on sweaters.

Such patterns look best on long nails, since it is desirable that the vertical row on the nail plate consist of at least three diamonds. It is better not to use such elements on short nails, as they will visually make the nails even shorter.

Strokes and dots. They not only perfectly complement the design, but may well be its main fragments.

They can be applied either with a brush or with a dot.

The elements listed above are not difficult to draw. And at the same time, with their help you can create a myriad of design options such as “knitted nails”. Of course, you yourself can come up with something original, but in any case you need to start from something!

Important! When making patterns that imitate a knitted sweater, it is recommended to make the lines wide enough, but not to draw them too close to each other. Otherwise, during the process of sprinkling with powder, the pattern may be spoiled, since in some places it will simply merge into one blot.

Unique manicure in a winter “sweater” design

The “sweater” design is definitely considered winter, which is why it looks sophisticated and impressive with voluminous snowflakes sprinkled with glitter or powder. For everyday life, a transparent French manicure with elements of white snowflakes would be an excellent option. It is best to highlight the ring finger with a voluminous, knitted pattern. This nail art is most often done in pastel or white and blue colors.

What you need for work

In addition to the full set of materials and tools necessary for gel polish manicure (there is no point in listing them in this article), we will definitely need and may also find the following useful:

1. gel paint or thick gel polish - for drawing patterns;
2. two thin brushes - with short and long bristles;
3. acrylic velvet sand or acrylic powder is the necessary material for this design;
4. a pusher or any other similar tool that can be used to sprinkle acrylic powder on your nails - even a regular bank card will do;
5. brush - for removing excess powder from nails;
6. a piece of foil or a regular sheet of paper - so as not to waste excess material;
7. lint-free cloth - it is recommended to always have it on hand.

Note: If you use an acrylic composition with glitter for a knitted manicure, take finely ground velvet sand with glitter—it’s better not to use coarse sand for braids.

How to make with ordinary varnish

It is not always possible to do a knitted shellac manicure at home. This type of pattern can also be achieved using primitive varnishes. Finally, it will not be as voluminous and stubborn as when working with gel, but it is done easily and in much less time.

Master class on how to step by step make a scarlet moon manicure with a knitted pattern using ordinary varnish:

Taking off such a knitted manicure is no more difficult than an ordinary design. It is necessary to note that because of the powder, the varnish will hold on a little stronger, therefore it is recommended to soak the nails in a solvent like shellac. Just not for 20 minutes, but for 10. This will save time on scrubbing the velvet layer.

Methods of execution

The weaving effect can be done with either gel polish or gel paint. And yet, many craftsmen recommend choosing gel paint for this design. Gel polish has a more liquid consistency, so it can spread a little when drawing patterns or adding powder and spoil our manicure.

Acrylic paint is unlikely to be suitable in this case, since it is difficult to give sufficient volume to the weaving effect. If you want your manicure to please you longer, you shouldn’t use regular varnish either - such a coating is not durable.

In this article we will look step by step at three ways to perform a knitted manicure - the generally accepted and most common (let's call it classic), as well as two interesting alternative methods.

Classical

So, let's start creating our knitted manicure.

1. If necessary, we remove the old coating and carry out all preliminary hygiene procedures.
2. We give the nails a neat shape with a nail file.
3. It is advisable to apply a cuticle softener and soak your fingers in warm water for about 5 minutes. Then we remove or push back the cuticle.
4. Before applying the coating, be sure to file down the nails with a mildly abrasive buff—we just need to remove excess gloss from the surface.
5. Then we degrease the nails with a dehydrator or other means you are familiar with. The primer may not be used.
6. Apply a thin layer of base coat, making sure to seal the ends of the nails. Dry: in a UV lamp - 2 minutes; in an LED lamp - 30 sec.
7. Apply the gel polish coating in two layers, drying each layer and not forgetting to seal the ends. If you are using a thick gel polish, one coat may be enough.
8. Apply the finishing coat and dry.
9. If you used a topcoat with a sticky layer, remove the stickiness from your nails with a lint-free cloth moistened with a special liquid.
10. Now let's proceed directly to creating the design. You can use gel polish or gel paint - whichever is more convenient for you. We put some material on the brush and draw an imitation of weaving on the nail - the so-called sweater. The patterns in this nail art are drawn with medium-thick lines.
11. Sprinkle the design nails generously with velvet sand or acrylic powder. This can be done with a pusher, an inverted tip, or any other suitable tool. The main thing is not to skimp on the material. Shake off the excess by tapping your finger and pour in again. You need to sprinkle it several times to give the design more volume. It is advisable to perform this operation over a piece of foil or simply over a sheet of paper - so that later it will be convenient to collect excess material and pour it back into the jar.
12. Dry in the lamp 2 times longer than usual.
13. Remove excess glitter with a brush.
14. Done - admire the result!

With the help of dots or vice versa

With this technique, we pour acrylic powder not onto the pattern, but onto a smooth surface. And then we draw the design by making grooves in the powder.

More details:

1. After all preliminary operations, apply the background color with gel polish. It is better to choose a dense, thick color - with a translucent composition it will be difficult to achieve the desired effect.
2. After polymerization in the lamp, cover the nail with topcoat.
3. Dry and remove stickiness if necessary.
4. Then we evenly apply a second layer of gel polish of the same color, not too thick, but not too thin - it’s better to choose something in between.
5. Without drying, generously sprinkle the nail surface with acrylic powder. Shake off excess by tapping on your finger.
6. Take a dots with a medium-sized ball and draw our pattern in acrylic powder. The easiest way to draw a Christmas tree with this method. The tool must be cleaned during the process. It is convenient to use a lint-free cloth soaked in cleanser for this.
7. Dry it in the lamp twice as long as usual.
8. We remove the remaining powder with a brush, and then process our design with a manicure grinder.
9. After we have smoothed out all the excess, we remove the dust again with a brush. If there is a need for this, we repeat grinding and cleaning again until we achieve the desired result.

If everything is done correctly, the grooves will turn out glossy, and the rest of the surface of the nail will be matte.

Gel paste and shading

Instead of gel polish or gel paint, you can use a thicker and more “clumsy” gel paste. This material allows you to use a different, simpler technique for a sweater.

First you need to apply the gel paste to the nail in several uneven parallel vertical lines. In this case, the distance between them should be greater than the thickness of the lines themselves. And then we simply stroke them with a brush at an angle of about 45 degrees, as if cutting through each line. The result is a very cute and believable knitted pattern. More details in the video from the author of this design.

How to draw braids

The question of how to make a three-dimensional design on nails worries many novice nail technicians. There is nothing difficult in creating a convex ornament, so if you don’t succeed the first time, then it’s only a matter of time. In order for the client to get what he wants, it is necessary to perform simple steps: after processing and drying the main layer of gel polish, you need to draw the selected pattern with a thin brush, then dry it and apply several more layers on top. Each new layer should clearly follow the lines of the previous one.

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Pros and cons of knitted manicure

Advantages

1. This type of nail art looks impressive and elegant - you want to take a closer look and touch it. This manicure is perfect for the fall-winter season, as it resembles a warm, cozy sweater.
2. It’s not so difficult to do it yourself at home - you will create a truly magnificent design, while saving on the services of a master.
3. The acrylic powder or velvet sand used in this technique makes the nails stronger, which means they will be less susceptible to mechanical damage.

Flaws

1. The texture of a knitted manicure can cause some inconvenience, especially at first. You need to get used to such nails and not everyone can do it.
2. Knitted patterns absorb dust well - no matter how hard you try to preserve them longer, after a few days the nails will still lose their original appearance a little. Of course, you can clean your nails with a brush and soapy water - there is no particular problem here. But if your “sweater” is not black, but made in light colors, and you accidentally stain your magnificent manicure with something difficult to wash off, it will be very difficult to erase the stains.

Tip: If you want to make a wicker design for a special day, it’s better not to risk it and decorate your nails immediately before it. And to keep your gorgeous manicure intact for longer, don’t forget to wear rubber gloves when cleaning or washing dishes.

Precautionary measures

Despite the love of many girls for this type of manicure, this coating has several nuances that should be taken into account before choosing a design:

Light colors - white, beige, many pastel shades - can quickly become dirty, so it is recommended to do such a manicure immediately before an important date (if one is planned), and while wearing this design, you should carefully carry out cleaning and other household chores.

If you are a supporter of minimalism, try not to overload a large number of nails with this design. One or two nails on each hand is enough, but the rest can be made monochromatic.

You shouldn’t hope that such a manicure will last you a month or longer, because a voluminous pattern is more prone to mechanical damage, which will undoubtedly immediately affect the aesthetic component.

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Design selection

Nail art using the weaving effect is becoming more and more popular every year. This can probably be explained by its unusualness combined with the ease of execution - it is difficult for a person unfamiliar with the technique of creating a weaving effect to believe that such beauty is not at all difficult to make at home, without resorting to the services of a professional craftsman.

Knitted manicure remains trendy in the 2022 season and is unlikely to go out of fashion in the coming years.

The sweater looks great on both a glossy and matte top.

Most often, the backing and the woven pattern itself are made in the same color - this is how a knitted sweater is most accurately imitated.

But of course, it’s not at all necessary to do everything exactly like that - you can fantasize as you like! You can use different colors on different nails, and also combine the weave effect with other styles, for example, with a French manicure or moon manicure.

Knitted nails go perfectly with a gradient - color transitions in this design look unusual and interesting.

Note: When creating a gradient for a knitted manicure, it is not at all necessary to make it perfectly smooth - all flaws and stripes will be hidden and corrected when drawing the design.

Knitted nails harmonize well with rhinestones.

For example, you can glue a rhinestone to each intersection of lines or vice versa to empty spaces in a braid or diamond.

And of course, a knitted design is an ideal manicure for the New Year.

It can be varied with snowflakes, images of deer, penguins and other winter symbols. A white knitted manicure with sparkles looks especially great - as if the snow on your nails sparkles in the bright sun.

And a few more photos with different options for “braided” marigolds.

Ideas for knitted patterns for nail designs: photos

Nowadays you can find many proposals for nail designs. But it is not at all necessary to use these options. You can do something smarter. Take your favorite knitted items and take a closer look at the pattern. You can easily repeat it on your nails. These can be braids, diamonds, a checkerboard pattern or tubercles. However, it is not necessary to limit yourself to what you saw. Use your imagination and you are guaranteed to get a new unique knitted design.

The choice of colors should also be approached individually. A plain knitted manicure looks best.

Most often, soft shades of pastel colors are selected to create patterns. It is these colors that create the impression of warmth and comfort. But no one forbids using a bright palette, because it’s up to you, as the author, to decide.

Don't be afraid to experiment and imagine. Never give up and you will create a truly unique knitted nail art that will surprise the people around you.

Do you like the “Knitted pattern” on your nails? Share in the comments!