Lanyard Knots
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| Description:
Lanyard Knots are often seen in Macramé patterns, particularly plant hangers. They're considered Vintage Knots, since they were very popular in the early 1900's. They are sometimes referred to as Crown Knots. They make
beautiful patterns, and are fairly easy to tie. Try making
a chain of these decorative knots to use as a purse handle, or as a jump rope for your kids. To see a pattern where the spiral design is used, see the Round Bracelet. Variations: The Single Knot, Multiple Strands, Spiral Chain, Striped Chain, and the Star Pattern are all described below. |
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Single Knot
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Step 1:
To practice a single Lanyard Knot, obtain two cords. Lay them
across each other with the centers crossed (labeled with an "X").
Secure the crossing point to the table or project board, which I recommend you use. Mentally label them A thru D, starting on the lower left and moving counter-clockwise. |
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| Many Macrame Patterns require you to form Lanyard knots from strands that have already been in use. In that case, you wouldn't need to worry about forming the X shape at all. Just follow the steps below, moving in a counter-clockwise direction. You will need at least 4 strands to make the knot, which will usually be specified in the pattern. |
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Step 2: Take
the left lower strand (A) and fold the end so it’s horizontal,
and over the right lower cord (B). It should rest just below the
secured crossing point. Make sure you leave a space for the fourth end to pass through (see step 5). |
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Step 3: Now use
segment B, which is at the lower right. Fold it so it crosses over the right upper strand, which is segment C. It will automatically pass over segment A. Make sure it rests to the right of the secured area. |
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Step 4: Bring
segment C (upper right) across segment D, heading
horizontally. You will be moving from right to left. You should automatically pass over segment B. |
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Step 5: Take
segment D (upper left) and make the fourth fold, heading
down towards the bottom of the knot. Direct the end into the space that was left when segment A was folded in step 2.
Tighten the knot by removing the slack gradually, pulling on each end. |
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| Now that you know how to tie a single Lanyard Knot, it's time to practice making the different variations and chains. |
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Multiple Strands
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You can make Lanyard Knots using more than two strands. Be sure you start out with 2 groups of cords having the same number of strands. Fold them the same way you did the single knot, but with the individual strands working together as a group. Make sure you arrange the strands so
the knot looks neat. Multiple strand Lanyard Knots usually work out better if there is only one or two of them in a pattern, since they are thick.
You can use this technique to gather a large number of
cords to make a Tassel. For more details, see Creating
Tassels. |
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Spiral Chain
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To make a Spiral Chain
of these knots, tie a number of them stacked on top of one
another. After you tie the first two knots, move the pin and secure the design on an angle, as shown.
Be sure to tie each knot the same direction, as described
in the instructions for the single knot.
You can click on the image to see a larger one. |
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| See the Christmas
Candle for an example of the use of this attractive
sennit. |
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Striped Chain
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| To make a Striped Chain,
reverse the direction you tie them, every other knot. In the
directions for the single knot, you folded the cords one by
one, moving in a clockwise direction. If you tie the second,
fourth, sixth, etc. heading counter-clockwise, the chain will look like the image above. |
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Star Pattern
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| I call
this the Star Pattern, because Lanyard Knots can be made with many strands, rather than just two. You can use as many cords
as you like to create this interesting design. |
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| Obtain
4 cords to practice. It helps to use different colors. Locate the centers of all of them. |
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Step 1: Lay
the strands in front of you, so the centers meet, as follows:
One vertical, the next horizontal, and the third and fourth
diagonal, forming an “X”. Mentally number the
strands 1 through 8, in a clockwise direction, beginning with
the diagonal cord on the lower right. Pin or tape
the center point to your work surface. |
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Step 2: Make
small loops, rather than folds, with each strand. To begin,
pass cord #1 over #2. For each of the cords 2 through 7, go
over both the strand previously folded, as well as the one
next in line to be used. For example, #3 will pass over both
#2 and #4 as it curves towards the left. |
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Step 3: Direct
cord #8 so it goes over #7 and into the space formed by #1.
Tighten the knot by pulling on each end, in order, until snug. |
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