Knife Knot
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Description: The Knife Knot is sometimes called a Knife Lanyard, because it has a loop at the top. Sailors used to create this type of decorative knot to hold their knives, which is where the name came from. Another name for it is the Diamond knot, since the ends are directed through a diamond shaped area in the center.
In Macrame, this technique can be used anywhere you need a stable loop, followed by a sturdy round knot. You could start a Plant Hanger with it, or even use it as part of Earring designs. Try using it as a Cell Phone Loop, adding beads to the ends.
You can click on the small images and larger ones will show up in a new window. |
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Step 1: Fold one cord in half, securing it at the center. If you don't want a loop at the top, use two separate cords instead.
Make a counter-clockwise loop with the left end, passing under as you rotate it to the left. |
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Step 2: Use the right end next, and fold it so it passes under the left loop. Bring it over the area just above the loop, on the left side of the knot. |
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Step 3: Still using the right end, bring it under the left end, and through the left loop. Pass it over, under, over the three segments as you bring it back to the right side of the Knife knot. |
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Tighten the knot slightly, making sure the large loop above it is the size you need. It's easier to adjust the placement of the knot now rather than when you tighten it later on.
Make sure you can identify the diamond shape in the center of the knot. |
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Step 4: Use the right end, and make a counter-clockwise loop, circling around towards the left. Pass behind the tightened area, bringing the end through the diamond shape in the center, from back to front. |
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Step 5: Use the left end next, and do the same thing. The loop should be counter-clockwise, heading towards the upper right. Bring the end through the diamond shape from behind.
The two ends can either crisscross or come to rest side by side, as shown in this image. |
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Step 6: Tighten the Knife Knot by first securing the large loop at the top. If you prefer, you can hold it in one hand while tightening the knot with the other. Remove the slack in the order the loops were made. So the last thing you do is to pull on the ends. |
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| The Knife Knot can be doubled in order to make it thick and sturdy. Make sure you know how to tie the single knot very well, since tightening this variation is more challenging. |
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Follow steps 1 - 3 above, to begin the knot. Tighten it only a little, focussing on adjusting the upper loop to the size you need. |
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Take the right end, which is at the top of the knot, and follow the path of the left portion. Start at the bottom of the large loop, and rotate the right end in a counter-clockwise direction.
I've indicated the part to follow in black. |
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Continue to follow the same path until the right end comes to rest beside the left end, on the bottom left area of the Knife knot. |
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Now take the left end, and bring it around to the right. Direct it so it follows the path of the right portion, which is indicated in black + signs. |
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This is what the doubled Knife Knot should look like at this point.
The ends will be in the same position as in step 3 of the first set of instructions above. |
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Complete the knot by passing the ends through the diamond shape in the center, from behind. This is similar to steps 4 and 5 in the first set of instructions. The only change is in step 5. You don't need to bring the end all the way to the top.
The arrows show how the ends are rotated, and the X is where they come out. |
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| To tighten the doubled Knife Knot, begin at the base of the large upper loop, where the other loops begin. Gradually tighten each area and remove the slack, until you reach the ends. It takes time and patience to balance the knot, but keep working on it until it's round and the coils are snug. |
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