Square Knot Sennits
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Description: Square Knot Sennits can be made in a variety of ways, forming interesting designs. The Fish above, for example, is made entirely of Square Knots. Many Macrame Patterns use these techniques, so it is a good idea to practice those I have listed. You can even invent a few of your own unique designs, once you understand the concepts.
A sennit is simply a chain of knots, tied one after the next. How you combine the sennits to form a design, depends on what you are making. Most patterns will tell you what to do, but if you want to make your own special projects, spend some time practicing different combinations.
To learn more about Mister Fish shown above, go to the bottom of the page. While you are at it, practice the Square Knot sennits as you make your way down to the "Fish Story". |
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Color Variations
This design shows you what can be done with different colors. Sometimes the best way to form interesting Square knot sennits is to use color variations.
Click on any of the icons on this page to see larger images, that show the details better. |
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Step 1: Mount 2 strands of material to a holding cord with Larks Head knots. Add 2 additional strands, that are a different color, with the Nestle Mount variation of the Larks Head Knot. This is the purpose of it, to arrange the cords so that one color is inside the other. |
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Step 2: Make 2 short sennits of Square Knots, using 4 cords per knot. The blue strands are the working cords. |
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Step 3: Alternate cords, and tie one sennit of Square knots. The rust strands are the working cords. |
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| Step 4: Alternate cords again, and make 2 sennits just like you did in step 2, using all the strands. The working cords are the blue ones again. |
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Alternating Sennit #1
Alternating Square Knot sennits are popular designs. Basically, there are 2 sets of working cords instead of one.
But there's an important trick to remember, so please continue reading. |
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| Step 1: Start by obtaining 3 cords. Mount them to a holding cord with Larks Head knots, folding them in half in the process. You need 6 strands to practice this Square Knot sennit. |
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Step 2: Mentally number the strands 1 thru 6. The filler cords are 3 and 4. Tie a Square Knot with cords 2 and 5 as the working cords. Tie the next SK with cords 1 and 6 as the working cords.
The trick is to pass the ends under the tails of the previous knot, each time you make a new one. |
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Alternating Sennit #2
Square Knot sennits often look very similar. But with this one you are not only alternating the working cords. The direction of knots is alternating as well. |
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Step 1: You need 6 strands for this variation, too. Mount 3 cords to a holding cord with Larks Head knots.
Mentally number the strands 1 thru 6. |
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Step 2: The filler cords are 3 and 4. Tie a left facing regular Square Knot using 2 and 5 as the working cords.
Step 3: Tie a Mirror Square knot, which faces right, with strands 1 and 6 as the knotting cords. |
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| Continue to repeat steps 2 and 3 to continue on making the rest of the sennit. |
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Crossed Pattern
There are several ways to alternate colors when making Square Knot sennits. This Crossed Pattern accomplishes some interesting color shifts simply by crisscrossing certain strands. |
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Step 1: Mount 2 cords of two different colors to a holding cord with Larks Head Knots.
Step 2: Tie 2 Square Knots with each set of four cords. Mentally number the strands in each set. |
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Step 3: Cords 3 and 4 from the left sennit (blue) need to cross over cords 1 and 2 of the right sennit (rust).
In other words, cords 1 and 2 from each sennit are next to one another, and the same goes for cords 3 and 4. |
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Step 4: Tie the next set of 2 Square Knots with the cords as they lie. Simply combine the strands closest to one another. For each sennit, 2 cords will be one color, and the other two a different color. |
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| Step 5: If you were to continue this sennit, you would cross the cords again. The knots would look like they did in step 2, with each sennit being a different color. |
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Fish Story
You didn't honestly think I would forget Mister Fish, did you?
The fins were formed by crossing 2 completed sennits. You don't cross individual cords, but the whole chain of knots.
Here's his story: |
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Once upon a time there were two lonely little sennits made up of 5 Square Knots. Boring, normal, everyday knots. |
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I then crisscrossed them, with the left one over the right. It looked kind of interesting, but still was not right.
Right then, (of course!), my dog decided to enter. So I quickly tied a 4 Square knot sennit, using the four cords in the center.
In other words, I had alternated the cords.
Not paying attention, I left for a while. When I came back...
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| The colors were changed, and oh what a thrill that was to see. My sennits were more interesting now, how could that be? |
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I brought it up to my face, and turned the design on its side. That's when I saw the most interesting shape. That is the truth, I would not lie!
So I took the loose ends and gave them a twist, and that's how I came up with my own Mister Fish. |
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