Materials:

• a knotting board to pin your work to: cut 4 or more pieces of heavy corrugated cardboard the same size (9" by 12" for example); stack them, then tape them together.
• T-shaped macrame pins or long, large-headed pins as in the photographs
• cord of some kind (cotton or jute household cord from a hardware or variety store works well)
• 2 beads for eyes, with holes large enough for the cord to pass through
• small twig for the perch
• ruler or yardstick
• scissors
• small rubber bands

Directions:

• Measure and cut 2 lengths of cord 3 yards long. These will be used together as a holding cord. Cut 6 lengths of cord 1-1/2 yards long to use as knotting cords.

1. Hold the 2 long cords together and double them to find the center. Attach the 6 shorter cords to the long pair at the center, using lark's head knots (see below).

To attach a knotting cord with a lark's head knot, first double the cord. Pass center loop over holding cord (a). Bring loop forward and pull cord ends through the loop (b). Pull cord strands to tighten knot (c).

2. Slide knots togeether so that they are side by side. Pin outside knots to knotting board, allowing cord with knots to sag in a slight V shape. You now have 12 hanging knotting cords, each 27" long, on a double holding cord. Shorten long holding cords (see below) and hang them over the back of the knotting board to keep them out of the way. Shorten knotting cords somewhat, also, if you wish.

To shorten cords, starting 6" to 8" from pins or knots, make zig-zag loops about 3" long to the end of the cord. Hold at the center with a small rubber band, making 2 turns with the rubber band, if necessary. Shortening cords helps keep them from getting tangled.

3. Pin the 6 knotting cords on the right out of the way. (Wind them 2 or 3 times around a pin and pin to one side.) Working with the 6 cords at the left, tie 2 rows of horizontal double half hitches from left to right (see below).

To make a row of horizontal double half hitches from left to right, pin cord #1 to the board just below and slightly to the left of the knot just above it. Hold cord #1 across other cords with the right hand. Using the left hand, tie cord #2 in a half hitch around cord #1 (a). Tighten knot and slide it close to the pin with your thumbnail.




Then tie a second half hitch around cord #1 with cord #2 (b); tighten knot and slide close to first knot. Continue in the same way to tie double half hitches with the other cords in turn -- #3, #4, #5 and #6. This row of knots should be directly under row of lark's head knots.

4. Make a second row of horizontal double half hitches directly below the first row, in the same way. (This time the cord that was #2 in the first row has become #1, the holding cord.) When finished, pin this group of cords out of the way.
5. Unpin the group of 6 cords at the right, and tie two rows of horizontal double half hitches from right to left -- just the opposite of steps 3 and 4. Use the cord on the far right as the holding cord for each row (see below).

After pinning the holding cord, stretch it across to the left, holding it with your left hand. Tie knots with the right hand.
The photograph shows how your work will look at this point.

6. Next, make the owl's beak. Use only the 4 center cords for this, pinning other cords out of the way. Of the 4 cords remaining, the 2 outside cords are knotting cords; the 2 inside are filler cords (knots tied around them). Using outside cords, make a loose half knot (half of a square knot). Do not tighten it (see below)
   
   
   For a half knot, pick up cord #4 and pass it over the filler cords (#2 and #3) and under cord #1. Then pass cord #1 under the filler cords and over cord #4.
   
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7. Loop the ends of the filler cords under the half knot and up and out through the knotting cord loops on each side just above it.
   
   
   
   
   Be sure that cord #2 comes out the loop on the left side and #3, the loop on the right side.
   
   Pull the ends of the filler cords up to leave loops about 4" long below the half knot, as shown in the photograph.
8. Draw the half knot up tight under the rows of double half hitches. Then complete the square knot over the two original filler cords (see below). Be careful not to knot over the strands of filler cord that were looped up. If the looped-up cords seem to be in your way, pin them aside.
   
   
   
   To complete the square knot, pass cord #1 under the filler cords and over cord #4. Pass cord #4 over the filler cords and under cord #1. Tighten the knot, pushing it up with your thumb.
   Tie three more square knots over the same filler cords. The photograph shows how your work will look when the four square knots are completed.
9. Pull the ends of the looped-up filler cords tight. This causes the square-knotted section to turn into a knob. Using these filler cords as knotting cords, bring them down and around the knot and tie a square knot under it, tying over the 2 cords below (the former knotting cords). The photograph shows the tying of the first part of the square knot.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Thread a bead, for an eye, on each cord next to the beak (the 4th cord from each outside edge).
11. The body is made with rows of horizontal double half hitches on each side of the beak. Do the right side first. Pin the 6 cords on the left side out of the way.
    
    
    
12. Working with the six cords on the right, tie 5 rows of double half hitches from left to right, just as you did in step 3. Use the cord nearest the beak as the holding cord for each row, pinning it to the board. For the first row, stretch the holding cord out horizontal, then tie knots with remaining cords. For remaining rows, pin the new holding cord just below the first knot of the previous row, then angle the holding cord down a little, like the spoke of a wheel. The last row should be nearly up and down. The photograph shows what the work looks like when the third row is nearly completed.
    
    
    
    
    
    
13. Using the six cords on the left side, tie 5 rows of horizontal double half hitches from right to left, as in step 5. Space holding cords like spokes of a wheel, as you did in step 12.
14. To complete the body, bring all cords down straight. Using the two outer cords from each side, tie a half knot over the remaining cords, as shown in the photograph left below.
15. Draw the half knot up tight and complete the square knot. This gives the owl's body its final shape, as you can see in the photograph right below.

16. 
    Using the same four knotting cords used in the square knot, tie double half hitches around the twig perch. Tie with the inside cords first, then the outside. The remaining cords go behind the perch. The photograph shows how it looks.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
17. Cut an additional 8" length of cord. Gather together the hanging cords below the perch into one bundle, and whip them together with the 8" cord, as you would the end of a rope.
    
    
    Make a loop at one end of the cord and lay it along the bundle of cords, the loop pointing toward cord ends (a). Holding the short end in place with your thumb, wind the long end closely around the loop and cord bundle (b). Continue about 1". Tuck the long end through the loop (c). Slowly pull the short end until the loop has pulled the other end about halfway up inside the winding (d). Trim off ends.
    
    
    
18. Trim hanging cords at a length you like. Fray them, if you wish, as shown in the photograph at the very top of this page
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19. Complete the necklace by making alternating half hitches in the long cords on each side of the owl at the top. Use each cord in turn, holding it taut, while tying a half hitch around it with the other. The photograph shows the start of this half hitch chain.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
20. When the chains are long enough on both sides for the necklace to fit comfortably over your head, gather the four cords together and tie them in an overhand knot. Trim ends and fray them.
    
    
    
    

See Olly the Owl from Orbit.
See More Owls.
Return to Splashdown page.