Macrame Knots & Lengths

by Ulrike Pearson June 4, 2024

Would you like to try yourself on some Macrame creations? Here are the basic Knots and Length guide to get you started:

Larks Head Knot

Double your cord, find the middle of it and make a loop over your dowel, ring, rope or similar. Pull the two ends of the cord through the loop and pull the knot tight

Wrap Knot

With a cord of approx 0.7m - 1.0m cord create a loop with one shorter and one longer end. Wrap the longer end around the bunch of cords, firmly and in line to each other. Make sure the end of the loop is still sticking out underneath. Take the end of the longer cord and pull it through the loop then pull slowly on the shorter cord on the top and let the loop slide underneath the wrap you’ve created.

Half Knot

Put cord no 1 from left to right over cord 2 & 3. Put cord no 4 on top of cord no 1, then put cord no 4 behind cord 3 & 2 and pull it through the loop you’ve created between cord no 1 and 2

Square Knot & Altering Square Knot

Make a Half Knot like described above. Then put cord no 4 from right to left over cord 2 & 3. Put cord no 1 on top of cord no 4. Then put cord no 1 behind cord 2 & 3 and pull it through the loop you’ve created between cord no 4 and 3.

Double Half Hitch Knot

Cord no 1 (the light grey cord) is your holding cord. Wrap cord no 2 (dark grey cord) around cord no 1 (the holding cord) from back to front and pull it through the loop that has been created. Repeat this step once more then move onto the next cord and so on

Tip: The holding cord is always to point in the direction you like the line of Double Half Hitch Knots to go. The art to created straight lines with your Double Half Hitch Knots is in the tensions and lengths you give your cords

Crown Knot

ESTIMATING THE LENGTH OF THE CORD

When you are a beginner, it is not always easy to know how much cord you need for your project. You are probably wondering how to measure the correct length for your design. Of course, you can always follow the measurements provided, but sometimes it is not possible. A general rule of thumb says that you will probably need about four times the length of your project. But it is also important to look at your pattern first:

If your pattern consists of a large number of knots, you will probably need more rope
The rope can be a bit shorter if your project has many straight cords.
If your cord is thicker, it needs to be longer.
Single-strand ropes need less length than 3-ply or braided ropes.
Always add a little extra cord to create beautiful fringes.
When in doubt, always cut an extra rope just to be sure.
If you want to change the cord thickness from the size you started your project; you will need to add or subtract length.
If you want to be more specific, measure the length of each knot separately and multiply the length of each knot by the number of knots in a pattern.
Keep a record of your measurements per cord size and type in mm.