Siamese Cat

Supplies Needed:

• 6mm Nylon or Cotton cord (36 yards)– light color  (white, ivory, tan, etc)
• 6mm Nylon or Cotton cord (45 yards)– dark color (gray, black, brown, etc.)
• Yarn for whiskers
• One 6-inch metal ring
• 1 Black 16mm Barrel Bead for the nose
• 2 Blue Beads for the eyes (20mm to 25mm)
• 1 metal coat hanger (or heavy craft wire)
• Project Board and pins

• Square Knot (SK)
• Double Half Hitch (DHH)
• Alternating Square Knots (ASK)
• Overhand Knot
• Reverse Larks Head knot
• Vertical Half Hitch
• Barrel Knot

Cutting Instructions:

Dark Color:  10 cords each 75 inches long (Ears & Face)
                  4 cords, each 55 inches long  (Front Legs)
                  2 cords, each 90 inches long  (Front Legs)
                  6 cords, each 36 inches long (Back Feet)
                  1 cord 4 yards long (Tail)

Light Color:  2 cords, each 6 yards long  (Face & Body)
                  8 cords, each 3 yards long (Body)

Making the Ears

Step 1:  Take one of the dark 75-inch cords and tie an Overhand knot in the center of it.  Secure the knot to your project board with a pin. 

Step 2: Make an upside-down V shape with the cord, and secure the ends so the strand has tension. This will be the first holding cord for the ears of the Siamese cat.

Fold 4 of the 75-inch cords in half and attach them to the holding cord with reverse Larks Head knots. Make a Half Hitch with both ends of each cord, so they rest next to the Larks Heads.  There should be 2 cords mounted on each side of the Overhand knot. Mentally number the strands 1 thru 8.

Step 3:  Crisscross cords 4 and 5, which are in the center of the ear design. Direct cord 5 to the left, and cord 4 to the right.  Secure them so they have tension. These will be the next set of holding cords. 

Attach the rest of the cords to them with Double Half Hitches. Don’t include the first set of holding cords. There should be no gaps between the two rows, so pull the DHH as tight as you can.

Step 4:  Mentally number all the cords 1 thru 10, moving left to right.
Tie a Square Knot using strands 2 and 9 as the working cords.  The rest will be the fillers.

Step 5:  Repeat steps 1 thru 4 to make the other ear for the Siamese Cat.

Designing the Face

Step 7:  Attach the ears to the top of the ring with Double Half Hitches. Push them together so there are no gaps between the knots.  Mentally number all the cords 1 thru 20.

Step 9:  Secure each of the dark cords to the board so they are taut.  Use the left half of the new cord to make a row of Vertical DHH.  The light strand is the working cord and the dark ones are the holding cords. 

Don’t tie the DHH onto cords 10 and 11. Stop when there is one knot on each of the dark cords on the left side of the face.

Step 10:  Do the same with the right half of the new cord, making a row of Vertical DHH on the right side of the face. If you look closely at the image below, the area you are creating is the forehed of the Siamese cat.

Step 12:  Attach the 4 light colored cords to the sides of the ring with DHH.  You’ll use the dark ones to make the face of the Siamese Cat.

Step 13:  Mentally re-number the dark cords only.  Tie one Square Knot with cords 9 thru 12.

Step 14:  Tie 2 rows of Alternating Square Knots. The first row should be made with cords 7 thru 14. The second row should be made with cords 3 thru 18.

Step 15:  Tie one Square Knot with cords 9 thru 12. This knot rests between the eyes of the Siamese Cat.

Step 16:  Slide a blue bead over cords 7 and 8 as well as 13 and 14.  Use a marker to make the pupils first. If you don't like the placement of the eyes, you can slide them over other strands instead.

Step 17:  Tie the next row of ASK, using cords 3 thru 18.

Step 18:  Tie a row of ASK using all the cords. 

Step 19:  Pass cords 10 and 11 through the black barrel bead, heading into it from different directions.  Tug on these cords until the bead touches the face.

Step 20:  Repeat step 17.

Step 21: Tie a row of ASK using cords 5 thru 16 (3 knots). Tie a final row of ASK using cords 7 thru 14 (2 knots).

Step 22:  Push on the back of the face design so the nose of the Siamese Cat pops outward.

Step 23:  Use the light strands as the working cords to make a row of Vertical DHH.  They’re the cords attached to the ring.  On the left side of the face, use dark cords 1 thru 6 to hold the knots.  On the right side, use cords 15 thru 20.  You’ll move from the “cheek” area towards the “chin” of the Siamese Cat.

Step 24:  Attach each light colored cord to the bottom of the ring with DHH.  Direct the dark cords to the back of the face and weave them into the overall design.  You can trim them first and apply glue as needed.

Creating the Body

Step 25:  Fold 4 of the 3-yard cords in half.  Attach them to the bottom of the ring with reverse Larks Head knots.  Add Half Hitches as needed to cover the bottom of the ring.  No metal should be showing when you are finished.

Step 26:  Tie 5 rows of ASK.

Step 27:  Note that there are loops along each edge of the design.  Add 1 cord on each side (total of 2), attaching them to the loops with reverse Larks Head knots. 

Step 28:  Make 2 more rows of ASK.

Step 29:  Repeat step 27.

Step 30:  Tie 10 rows of ASK.

Step 31:  Use the strands furthest to the left and right as holding cords.  Direct them towards the center of the body and secure them so they are taut.

Attach the rest of the cords to them with DHH.  These knots should rest right up against the last row of ASK.

Step 32:  Attach one holding cord to the other with a DHH.

Making the Front Legs

Step 34:  Use one of the 90-inch dark cords along with 2 of the 55-inch cords to make the front legs.  Pass them through spaces in the body in the 10th row, close to the left edge of the design, from back to front. Center the cords so they are even.

Step 35:  Use the short cords as the fillers.  Tie a Square Knot sennit, consisting of 10 knots.

Step 36:  Mentally number the cords 1 thru 6.  Direct cords 2 and 5 towards the center of the sennit, and secure them, since they are holding cords.  They should be diagonal.  Attach cord 3 to holding cord 2, and 4 to holding cord 5, with DHH.  To finish the row, attach one holding cord to the other with a DHH.

Step 37:  Direct cords 1 and 6 to the center next.  Attach half the available cords (including the previous holding cords) to holding cord 1 and the rest to holding cord 6.  The 2 rows of DHH should rest next to one another with no gaps.  Attach one holding cord to the other to finish the row. When finished, the foot should resemble the ears of the Siamese Cat.

Step 38: Direct the cords closest to the edge of the feet through the body from front to back.  Flip the Siamese Cat over and tie a tight Barrel Knot in each strand to hold them in place.  Apply glue and cut off the excess.

Step 39:  Trim the remaining cords to ½-inch.  Unravel the ends.

Step 40:  Repeat steps 34 thru 39 to make the other front leg.

Creating the Back Feet

Step 41:  Use 3 of the 36-inch cords for each foot.  Direct them into the spaces along the right and left edge of the body of the Siamese Cat, just above the last row of ASK.  Center the cords so they are even.

Step 42:  Repeat steps 36 and 37, with each set of cords.

Step 43:  Trim the ends so they are even, approximately ½-inch below the second row of DHH.

Making the Tail and Whiskers

Step 44:  Cut a 12-inch section of wire.  Make a small loop at one end, and wrap it around one of the SK in the back of the Siamese Cat design.  It should be close to either the right or left edge, rather than in the center.

Step 46:  Tie a sennit of SK the entire length of the wire.  Make the last knot as tight as you can, and apply glue.  When it’s dry, cut off the excess.

Step 47:  To make the wiskers of the Siamese Cat, cut several pieces of yarn, each 6 inches long.  Direct them through spaces in the face right under the nose.  You can apply glue to hold them in place if you wish.

Step 48:  Cut another long piece of yarn.  Pass the end of it through the same spaces as the whiskers (optional).