Macrame Your Own Hammock

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THE SQUARE KNOT

The easiest and surest knot for your hammock is the same good old dependable square knot that you've been making all your life ... except that every one you tie on this project is going to have two "extra" cords running through its middle (see Fig. 5). Don't panic. It's actually very simple.

Let's start with the first four strings (the first two double loops) on the left end of the pole. Separate the two outer cords from the two inner ones (to make it even easier, let's call the far left string of the quartet "black", the far right one "gray" and the two middle ones "white" ... as shown in Fig. 5).

Take the gray cord on the right and place it over the middle two white strings. Then run the black twine over the part of the gray cord that's to the left of the two middle strings, under the middle white strings and out over the gray cord on the right side. Now, keeping the two center strings straight, pull the gray and black cords up into a firm knot. You're half done.

Finish the square knot by doing the opposite of your first step. Take the black twine (that's now to the right of center) and run it under the two middle white strings, heading back home. Then thread the gray cord (still on the left) under the black twine, over the two white strings and under the black twine (going toward the wall) on the right. Pull both the gray and black cords up firmly as you hold the two white strings straight ... and you've completed your first square knot. Now tie the same knot in each group of four cords all the way across the branch.

The second row of knots is tied exactly the same way, except that they're staggered to fall between the knots on the first row (see Fig. 6). Nothing to it: just skip the initial two strings when you begin Row No. 2, and make your first knot with the next four cords after that. In each knot of the second row, the left-hand string will be the old middle-right cord, the two middle cords will be old gray and black strings and the right-hand cord will be a middle-left string from the row above. Forget the two "untied" cords on each end of Row 2 ... let them hang and work them into the third row of knots.

By the by ... if your branch or pole is slightly bent, every row of knots should have the same slight irregularity until you stretch the hammock straight at the bottom.

The rest of the hammock should be a whiz. Just remember to keep the knots firm and the rows straight with each other and far enough apart so the bed will have a little "give".

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