Lanyard/wrist strap made with 2mm cord on a 4-peg spool

Two-tone spool knitted lanyard/wrist strap in light green/black(charcoal) cord made on a 4-peg spool.

I put swivel clips on each end, finishing with snake knots. The 4-peg spool gives a square shaped braid, but I did it loosely so I could flatten it out some.

Works well as a key chain lanyard, or for pocket knives, multitools, flashlights, or even as a wallet chain type lanyard...

I've drilled multiple holes in the spool so that I can pull the nails out and reconfigure for use with 2, 3, or 4 nails. The spool has a Turk's Head knot in neon green paracord and I followed it around a couple of times with a 1mm black cotton cord.







If I add a side-release buckle, it can be worn as a bracelet...

Finger loops

There are a variety of folders and fixed blades with loops for fingers built into the knives, for looks, function, or both. You can add your own with a little knot work.

I'd tried a few with the alternate and continuous ring hitches made over split rings months ago, but they seemed to be too large, too small, or uncomfortable.  I've tried again with a couple of other methods.

I made a short braid with some black paracord on a two-peg knitting spool, looped it through the lanyard hole of my Spyderco Salt, and finished with a couple of snake knots.

I fit my little finger thru the hole for added grip on the knife. A swivel clip or snap hook could be added to the loop for other attachment options.

And another one done with some 1mm black cotton cord spool knit over paracord on a small neck knife.

 

How to tie a Monkey's Fist Video

I usually use paracord or smaller cordage for knotwork, but this larger 3/8" diameter rope makes it easier for you to see what I'm doing in the video. I used three turns for each side of the knot to cover the 1" ball bearing that I used for the core of the fist. You can use whatever you want for the core: marbles, ball bearings, wooden/cork ball, rubber ball, wad of paper/plastic, a knot at the end of the cord and tucked into the center of the fist, etc.

The number of turns needed depends on the size cord you're using and how large the item you're using for the core is. Remember to gradually tighten the knot as you work the slack out. I went all the way around the knot from the starting point twice for the video, I could have tightened it up again, but didn't to keep the video shorter.

With smaller cord, you may have to work the cord several times to get the slack out. This is necessary to keep the cord from getting twisted/tangled/overlapped and keep the sides even. If you can still see the core after you've started tightening the fist, you probably need to add another turn, so start over. Have patience and you'll get the hang of it.

Carrick Mat

This is a Carrick Mat that I made with olive drab 550 paracord. Here's a tutorial link (updated since the original disappeared), and it's also known as a thump mat. 

The original diagram I linked to, showed it being made using your fingers, but I just laid it out on the table to tie it.

I started with about 15 feet of paracord, and after working the slack out, I ended up trimming a couple feet of excess off.

Made with paracord, it makes a nice coaster, a mat to lay your keys/flashlight/knife/multitool on to keep from scratching up your nightstand or dresser, or attached to the top of a boonie hat with a couple of safety pins as another way to carry some extra cord while adding a little decoration to the hat.  *Note, if added to a hat, don't get mad if folks ask you what instrument you play in the marching band, lol...











...and another done in GID(glow-in-the-dark) cord from Cool Glow Stuff!. I'll put this one on my nightstand as a coaster for the glass of water I keep next to the bed. If I wake up thirsty in the middle of the night, I won't have to turn on the lamp to see the glass, it'll be illuminated by the mat.

My birthday was last week and I recieved an amazon.com gift certificatefrom one of my sisters and used it for a couple of books, one of which is 'The Book of Decorative Knots by Peter Owen'. I bought this book a few years ago, but sent my copy to a friend in Iraq last year knowing I'd eventually replace it. It's a great book for a beginner with easy to follow diagrams on lots of decorative knots.

I also recieved a little money from both of my grandmothers and put that together for a new Jetbeam C-LE V2 flashlight, bought from Bug Out Gear USA. I added a split ring and carabiner to one of my 'Type I' OD Green paracord lanyard/wrist straps. This is an updated version of the C-LE with a 'clickie' tailcap, where the other one I have has the 'twisty' head to turn on the light and switch between the 5 outputs of the light.

Ocean Plait Mat

I added a length of CoolGlowStuff! glow cord, around the center of the mat.

I followed the instructions in 'Knots' by Gordon Perry, for this Ocean Plait Mat, which "can be used as a table decoration, step tread, or wall hanging."

I still need to work a little more slack out of it as seen in the photo. Finished size is about 13" x 7", using 3/8" rope from the sporting goods section at walmart. Working the slack out seems to take the longest time after getting the basic shape laid out.

I tried to make this mat a year or two ago and just got aggravated with the tangled mess and put the rope in the closet and went on to other things. For some reason, when I have trouble with a knot, I stay away from it for awhile until I have some time to sit down and give it another go, and something 'clicks', and I figure it out.

So, I pulled the rope out of the closet this morning and tried it again, and what the hey, it worked this time. The amount of rope used can be deceptive, I think I started with a 40 or 50 ft length, but the final amount used is less as the slack is worked out.


I also made a much smaller ocean plait using about 10 ft of 2mm cord. I'm not sure what I'll use such a small one for though. Maybe a coaster for a couple of shot glasses, attached to the front of a hat with a couple of safety pins for 10 ft of useable cord, or attached to a hair barrette(for a girlfriend/wife, mother, daughter, etc...). Drops of super glue, spread around the inside of the barrette, will keep the cord together and help hold it's curved shape.


...as a barrette.





...and using 550 paracord in navy blue/orange for Auburn colors. War Eagle!






*I've added this link(original link hijacked so I removed it) to this blog post to show a photo from the KHWW site, showing how these types of mats, were and are still, actually used on ships to protect the wooden decks.

2mm braided nylon cord

I got some decent 2mm braided nylon cord last week. It's typically used for fishing/trot lines, but works great for knot work and has about a 150 lb test for breakage, making it stronger than the 'Type I' paracord I like. Not a lot of color choices, but I like the light green olive color that I received. I've made a few assorted lanyards and monkey fists with it and I want to spend some more time with the Turk's head knot.

Monkey fist bookmark

I've made many of these for friends and family that like to read. A good book deserves a good bookmark. I used CoolGlowStuff! 3/32" cord to make this one. Just slightly smaller than gutted 550 paracord, the glow-in-the-dark cord takes four turns on the monkey fists to cover each side on a 1/2" marble, so I used a 6 foot length of cord. I made one monkey fist, tightened it up, then tie another fist starting right next to the completed one. There should be enough slack to make the fist around two fingers before tightening. Before the final tightening to remove slack, I adjust the second fist so there's a 10.5" space between the fists, this fits most hardback books that I read. Here's a link to a video posted on the Instructables site showing how to tie a monkey fist using a folded bit of coathanger and another example on Animated Knots by Grog. I use my fingers, but this method may help someone get the hang of it.







And here's another bookmark I made using paracord and a Turk's head knot.