December 6, 2013

Lark's Head Knots - Macrame Knot Tutorial

Lark's head knot larks head knot micro macrame

This, my friends, is a lark's head knot.  I don't know why it's called that.  I did research it a bit out of idle curiosity and  from what I can see the knot itself has been around forever, referred to by names like "cow hitch" and "girth hitch" until some dude named Tom wrote a book in 1866 and dubbed it a lark's head.  You call it what you want, but I'm sticking with Tom and calling it a lark's head knot since that's what I've always called it.  This is one of those knots that can be made in several different ways, all resulting in a knot that looks like the picture above.  Think of it like using different shortcuts on your computer that all get you to the same place.

I did this video first because this is the version of the knot that seems to give folks the most difficulty.


This version is useful for finishing off the end of piecess, but be sure to put whatever you want on the split ring before you start knotting (clasp or extender chain).  I find it easiest to hold the piece in my hand since you need to be able to get to the underside of the split ring.  I hold the split ring in my left hand to do the knotting from left to right and I try to get the cords I am not working with (the ones on the left side of the piece) out of the way as best I can.  

Take the first knotting cord through the split ring from the top and through the loop in your cord and pull it snug for the first half of the knot.  This first knot can be tricky since it's sometimes hard to know where your loop is.  Just remember that the tail always goes behind - so if you're knotting from left to right, the tail of your cord needs to come out on the left side on that first half knot.  It's hard to describe, but if you get stuck, try to remember that the tail goes behind and it will help.  Hopefully.  

To make the second half of the knot, use the same knotting cord, but this time go through the split ring from the underside.  Then through the loop and tighten it up.  If you're knotting from right to left, hold the ring in your right hand.

Whew!  Now that you've got the hard version out of the way, let's try the easy one.  This one is great for mounting new cords and is easy.  Really easy.


See?  I told you it was easy.  But the two loose ends of your cord together and then find the resulting loop in the middle of your cord.  Put the cord down through the split ring, then tuck the two loose ends through that loop and tighten.  Bam!  Done.  Works around another cord instead of a ring, too, if you so desire.

And finally, another way to make the same knot.  This time around another cord in the middle of a piece.  Do it the same as around a split ring.  Over the cord and around, though the loop.  Tighten.  Then under the cord and around, through the loop.  Tighten.  Ta da.


If you're having all kinds of fun and want to try another knot, check out the Double Half Hitch Tutorial.

8 comments:

  1. How do you make a button loop using larks head knots - can u make a video. I tried to do it and it came out all spirally.

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  2. Replies
    1. Sorry, but with the holidays I don't have time to make a video for you. The knots for the button loop are made the exact same way as in the last video here - just one after another in a row. It should come out flat. If yours came out twisted, I would think you need to watch your tension.

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    2. Oh. Ok. Thanks. you just keep making same loop over and over, or should I say over and under, again and again until you have enough for a button loop?

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    3. You make the same knot - the two parts - up, over & through, then under over & through (hope that makes sense?) and repeat that over & over. If you only do the one part, you will end up with a spiral.

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  3. Ok. I'm gonna try AGAIN now - using BOTH parts? Like both ends of the c-Lon I'm guessing. Bc I tried it again last night and still ended up spiraling using the one holding cord and the other knotting cord only to make the knots on it. I get the idea bc I made a loop with just square knots but that's too big for what I wanna do but whenever I try to do this it spirals and the few ppl that DO know how to do it can't explain it.
    I'll see if I can post a photo on here of what I'm trying to make a button loop for - nope won't let me. It's gotta be the same knot/loop you were doing for your 3 xs wraps macrame. Thanks for responding though. It's soooo frustrating not to get!!!

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    Replies
    1. Not both parts of the cord, no - both halves of the knot. A larks head knot is made by first taking the knotting cord up and over the holding cord and through the gap between it and the last knot (or to the rear if you're making the first knot) then you have to make the second half of that knot by taking the same knotting cord underneath the holding cord then up and over it and back down through the loop. That's one larks head knot. If you are not making both halves of the knot, you'll end up with a half hitch spiral. You won't switch off cords, either. The knotting cord will remain the knotting cord and the holding cord will remain the holding cord for the whole length that it take for the button loop. You can post a photo over on my fb page if you're still having trouble - https://www.facebook.com/MyMicroMacrame?fref=photo

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