All Natural Owl

• 4mm Jute, Hemp, or Cotton (100+ yards)
• 2 pieces of Driftwood, at least 15 inches in length
• Two 2-inch Brass Rings
• One 1-inch Brass Ring
• Two 32mm Round Beads (for eyes)
• Project Board and Pins

• Spiral Stitch
• Alternating V Patterns
• Alternating Square Knots (ASK)
• Larks Head Knot
• Double Half Hitch (DHH)
• Square Knot (SK)
• Wrapped Knot
• Barrel Knot
• Square Knot Button

Cutting and Preparing the Cords

• Cut 12 cords, each 6 yards long
• Cut 4 cords, each 90 inches long
• Cut 3 cords, each 5 yards long
• Cut 3 cords, each 15 inches long

Step 1:  Prepare the ends with tape, glue or wax to prevent unraveling.  This is important, since most of the natural materials are formed by twisting the fibers, so they unravel easily.

Making the Hanger

Step 2:  Fold four of the 90-inch cords in half, and mount them to the 1-inch ring with Larks Head knots. You will end up with 8 strands to work with.

Step 3:  Using 4 of the strands, tie a Spiral Stitch sennit measuring 8 inches.  Do the same with the other 4 strands.

Step 4:  Attach each strand to the driftwood you will use at the top of the All Natural Owl design.  Four cords should be attached near each end, using Double Half Hitches.

Step 5:  Tie a tight Barrel knot in each cord, so it rests at the back of the driftwood, and can’t be seen.  Cut off any excess.

Creating the Head

Step 6:  Mount the twelve 6-yard cords to the central portion of the driftwood with Larks Head knots, folding them in half in the process. 

Step 7:  Mentally number the cords 1 thru 24 (left to right).  Tie the first row of Alternating Square Knots with all the strands.   They should rest just below the Larks Head knots, and be made with 4 strands per knot.  Two are working cords and two are fillers. If the driftwood is curved, fit them to the general shape, adding or subtracting knots as needed.

Step 8: Tie the next few rows of ASK as follows, creating a V pattern for the forehead of the All Natural Owl:

Row 3: Use cords 5 thru 20 to make a total of 4 ASK.
Row 4: Tie 3 ASK with cords 7 thru 18.
Row 5: Make two knots with cords 9 thru 12 and 13 thru 16.
Row 6: Tie the final SK with cords 11 thru 14.

Step 9:  Mentally re-number the cords, moving left to right.  Direct cord 1 towards the center of the V shape, so it rests diagonally.  It should lie along the left edge of the ASK. Secure it so it’s taut.  Attach cords 2 thru 12 to it with Double Half Hitches.  Pull the knots tight.

Step 10:  Direct cord 24 towards the center of the V shape, similar to what you did in the previous step, but the opposite direction.  Attach cords 23 thru 13 to it with DHH (in that order). 

Next, attach the left holding cord to the right one with a DHH.

Step 11:  Tie a Square Knot with the two holding cords along with one on either side of them (total of 4).  The fillers for this knot should be the holding cords, and it should rest directly under the point of the V design.

Making the Eyes

Step 12:  Mentally re-number the cords before you work on the eyes for the All Natural Owl.

Place a 2-inch ring next to the DHH, on the left. Attach cord 7 to the top of it, with DHH.  Attach cords 5 and 6 to the left edge of the ring.  Attach cords 8 and 9 to the right edge.  The DHH on the edges should be vertical, but the one at the top will be horizontal.

Repeat this process on the right side of the face, attaching cord 17 to the top with DHH.  Cords 15 and 16 should be attached to the left edge, and 18 and 19 should be on the right edge of the ring.

Step 13:  Slide a bead over cord 7 on the left, and onto 17 at the right.

Lower Portion of Face

Step 15:  Mentally re-number the cords.  Move down to the area just below the rings.  Direct cord 12 to the left, so it’s horizontal. Secure it so it’s taut.  Attach cords 11 thru 5 to it with DHH (in that order). 

Direct cord 13 to the right, also horizontally.  Attach cords 14 thru 20 to it with DHH.

Step 16:  Mentally re-number the cords again.  Use 11 thru 14 to tie 4 SK. To make the Square Knot Button for the nose of the All Natural Owl, direct the ends into the space between the DHH and the first SK tied.  Tie 1 SK below the button, to secure it.

Step 17:  Tie a sennit of Square knots with cords 1 thru 4.  Stop when the last SK is lined up with the row of DHH made in step 15. The sennit should curve outward slightly, so make as many knots as needed to form a rounded shape.

Repeat the process on the other side of the face, using cords 21 thru 24. This completes the head of the All Natural Owl.

Creating the Body

Step 18:  Take a 5-yard cord and secure the center of it between cords 12 and 13, just below the nose.  It will be used as a holding cord, for each half of the body.  It should rest horizontally, heading in both directions.  Make sure it is taut.

Step 19:  On the left side of the All Natural Owl, attach cords 12 thru 1 to the holding cord, with DHH.  For the right side, attach cords 13 thru 24.

Near the center of the design, the rows should be close together.  By the time you reach the edge, they should be 2 inches apart.

Row A: Start by mentally re-numbering the cords 1 thru 26.  Direct cord 14 towards the left edge of the All Natural Owl.  Secure it so it’s taut.  Attach cords 12 thru 1 to it with DHH.

Repeat the process on the right.  The holding cord is 13. Attach cords 15 thru 26 to it with DHH.

Row C:  Take one 5-yard cord and attach it to the left holding cord (from the previous step). Use a reverse Larks Head knot to attach it.  It needs to be placed at the left edge of the All Natural Owl.

Repeat the process on the right edge, attaching another 5-yard cord.  When finished, you will have 30 strands to work with.  Mentally re-number the cords.

Row D:  Direct cord 16 to the left edge of the design and secure it so it’s taut.  Attach cords 14 thru 1 to it with DHH. 

On the right, the holding cord is 15.  Attach cords 17 thru 30 to it with DHH.

Step 21: The lower body area of the All Natural Owl is a little different.  Make all the ASK with 6 strands (2 working cords and 4 fillers). 

IMPORTANT: The knots furthest to the right and left need to follow the angle of the bar from the DHH made in step D. 

You’re making an inverted V shape for this section of the All Natural Owl's body.  There needs to be ½ to 1-inch of space between the rows. Start by mentally re-numbering the strands 1 thru 30.

Row 1:  Tie 1 ASK with cords 13 thru 18.

Row 2:  Tie 2 ASK with cords 10 thru 15 and 16 thru 21.

Row 3:  Make 3 ASK using cords 7 thru 24.

Row 4:  Use cords 4 thru 27 to make 4 ASK.

Row 5:  This final row consists of 5 ASK, made with cords 1 thru 30.

Step 22:  To finish the body of the All Natural Owl, tie 3 more rows of ASK, so they are about the same distance apart as the ones in the V formation. 

Finishing Touches

Step 23:  Place the second piece of driftwood next to the lower edge of the body.  Locate the 2nd and 4th ASK in the last row of knots tied in the previous step.  Secure the filler cords to the driftwood with DHH.  The remainder should pass behind the wood.

Hang the All Natural Owl by the ring at the top.  That will make it easier to complete the remaining steps.

Step 24:  Tie 1 row of ASK so the knots rest just below the driftwood. Be sure to include the ones attached to the wood.

Step 25:  Separate the cords into three groups of 10.  Use the 18-inch cords to make Wrapped Knots around each group.  These knots should be 1½-inches long.  Apply glue to the knots and allow it to dry completely.  Trim off the excess from the short cords used to tie the Wrapped Knots.

Step 27:  Trim the ends so they are even.  Unravel each strand to form a wavy fringe, for the tail of the All Natural Owl (not seen in images).

Step 28:  To decorate the eyes, attach the 5-inch strands to the rings with reverse Larks Head knots.  You can add as many as you wish.  Unravel each cord, trimming them as needed.