Weaver's knot yarn trick

I've been using a different knotting technique than this for the past few years to join a new skein of yarn, but my technique leaves a bulkier bump at the join. This weaver's knot technique, demonstrated by Yarnspirations, appears to leave a smoother finish at the join, so I'm saving their video here to help me remember how to do it!

However, try as I might, whenever I use the above method, I ALWAYS have one end that pulls out when I try to tighten the knot.

So, for me, the method below, demonstrated by theweavingloom3304, is the only way I've successfully managed to tie a weaver's knot. 

And I have to say, this technique does result in a much less bulky join than the knotting method I've used in the past, so I need to practice it enough that I'll be able to do it correctly from memory!

This magic knot technique is what I've been doing for years. It has worked pretty well for me, although it leaves a slightly bigger lump where the knot is than the weavers knot appears to leave. Anyway, it's difficult for me to unlearn the habit of using this technique that has worked fairly well for me for so long. 😅

 

Mosu Japanese Knot Bag

This was my covid isolation project. It is the Mosu Bag by Sweet Softies. They offer a free version of the pattern on their website. I made mine with the Taupe colorway of Big Twist Value yarn and a 5mm crochet hook, and I finished it with a vegan leather Chicago tag by Angie + Britt that says "Bee kind."

Actually, I worked most of the bag all in the first two days, because after that I felt way too sick to have the energy for doing anything at all during the next 10 days or so. Some time after that I started feeling better enough to finish crocheting the straps.

The pattern is very easy and quick to make and would lend itself to lots of creative interpretation. It makes a nice size handbag. 

Lanyards

For a while now, I've been wanting to craft some hand-knotted/beaded lanyards on which to wear my credentials to work. There's a great site called BooJee Beads where I could buy some really cool handmade lanyards, but I think it would be a lot more satisfying (and a lot less expensive) to make them myself.

So I finally got my thoughts organized and found a great site - Free-Macrame-Patterns.com - with free macramé instructions and patterns, including detailed instructions for how to craft jewelry and related items out of small cords (like 1 mm hemp or embroidery floss), which is the size I had in mind for making my lanyards.

I first wanted to make a lanyard with a spiral pattern. This page at Free-Macrame-Patterns has simple, detailed instructions for how to create the spiral effect. I wasn't able to find embroidery floss at Walmart to begin my project, so I settled for 1 mm hemp, which is probably a lot easier to work with because it's less slippery than the floss, so it holds the knots much better.

Step 1: Mount two cords to a ring or holding cord. This will give you four strands to work with. Using the two outside cords as your working cords, tie the first half of a square knot (i.e., a half knot).

Step 2: Repeat the half knot over and over. Make sure you tie each of the knots exactly the same way. The cords will twist to form an attractive spiral chain.

 

 

Here's a photo of my first work in progress. I started with blue and yellow strands.

And here's the finished lanyard:

 

Here's the second lanyard: