Macramé Candle Jar- Square knot

I remember very well how I was learning Macramé with Friendship bracelets. Back then we didn‘t call it Macramé it was simply weaving a bracelet. 

It is very fascinating to see how many crafting techniques we try during childhood and how many comes back to our life when we are older. 
Usually we are trying to find a hobby alongside our busy and stressful jobs, or just to relax, find balance in every day life. 

Macramé is a technique of knots, and trust me when I say it is absolutely amazing, super easy to learn. 

Let‘s begin :)

Material:

• 3 glass jars (sizes will always vary since they are recycled) 
• 3 cord colors (each 15 m long)
• 3 tea candles (after they burn out, clean them from the rest of a wax and recycle them with metal waste)
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• cup of tea or coffee or anything else you like
• time :)

Let‘s prepare cords for one of the bigger jars. We have to measure hight and circumference. 
Big jar is ca. 14 cm high = we need 21 pieces of 60 cm long cords.
For the circumference we need one long cord  100 cm (we keep it long until the end). 

Let‘s get to work :) 


Now we can begin with a chain. Long cord divide into shorter and longer part. Short side should be ca. 30cm long and from there we will go to the left (I am usually working from right to the left since I am left handed, you might do it differently).

Fist knot we will learn is Lark’s Head knot. We know two of them, one is classic (Back to front) and the other one is reverse (front to back). 

For the chain we will tie knots back to front.

Now take out the center cords out and pull.

Continue to tie knots and time to time check with a jar.


Once we have all 21 pieces done we can check how it looks on a jar (keep it simple and pattern will look nicer). 

Always measure. Check if you like how close or far is the each cord. 

Make a knot and let’s begin with our pattern.
We will use two basic knots- Alternating Square Knot and Horizontal Double Half Hitch. 


We work always with group of two.
 

Hold the middle cords separate from the two outside cords.


Starting with Alternating Square Knot.
This knot is very easy to learn. We will work around two cords in a middle.
First take the left cord and cross those two cords in the middle to the right. 

Now take the cord from the right side and go under the left cord and behind middle cords to the front trough the loop on the left side and carefully pull ca. 1 cm below the chain (we will feel and see where knot has to be made). 


Now the other side, right cord goes over the middle cords and the left goes behind trough the loop on a right side and pull.

We have a first Square knot :).

We will do the first line and then continue to make 5-7 more lines (depends on how long tassels we want).

Second line, keep going :)

Four lines of Alternating Square Knots are done. 1-3 more and we can learn Horizontal Double Half Hitch knot.

Have you ever tried to make Friendship bracelets? Yes? Perfect :) then you know how to make this knot. 
Part of a main cord still remains the longest, now it’s time to use it. Take it to your left hand and to your right hand take cord next to it from left side (again we will go front to the left- you might do it differently).


Hold the longest cord in a left hand, with the right hand take cord from the left side (next to the cord holder in left hand). Make a loop coming from below the main cord, around it and softly pull. 




We will create a line around whole jar with Horizontal Double Half Hitch knot. Make one loop and pull, then the second and pull. Take another cord and to the same. Continue with Horizontal Double Half Hitch until the cord comes back to the centre - where we have begun.  Then make a final tight knot (classic knot).


In case there are small gaps, we can fill them up. Cut ca. 10-15 cm long cords (please measure first tassels, and then cut the cords multiply length by 2).


Fold it in a half. 


We will use the Reverse Lark's Head knot (back to front). 


And pull. We can add them all around if there are bigger gaps inbetween.


To comb the cords we can either use a hair comb or simply with 3 fingers untwist them. 



Macramé Candle Jar is ready for mini tea candle and your relaxing Autumn evening with a hot cup of tea and that book you have been reading for so long, can begin.