Friday, April 18, 2014

New 'How-to' two-peg spool paracord lanyard video...

After getting lots of questions about spool knitting after my last blog post with the new Schmuckatelli Co. Day of the Dead 'Aquilo' sugar skull beads, I uploaded a video on making a two-peg spool knit paracord lanyard.  I have posts on spool knitting dating back to 2007, but not everyone knows to look for them and the blogger search function isn't the best at digging up older posts.



The two-peg spool knit can be found in 'The Ashley Book of Knots' as #2878 a Square Loop Sinnet, along with other variations.

 

The improvised spool I'm using is made with a PVC coupler, marked 1 1/4", is actually about 2" in diameter, which was just right to set three pegs/cotter pins at about 1 3/4" apart from each other.  You can use something smaller for a tighter pattern, but I wouldn't go larger because the wider knit would be more likely to catch or snag on something. ;)

 I used a rubber band to hold three cotter pins in place, then applied epoxy all over and around each one where it made contact with the PVC, then wrapped with electrical tape to cover and further secure everything.  You shouldn't have to pull hard on the cord when working with it, if you do you might break the pegs loose from their mounting.  

I originally had some small nails on the spool, but after several projects, one of them broke loose and would lean to the side as I worked, changing the spacing, so I replaced them with the cotter pins.


For quick deployment of the cord, should you need to re-purpose it, cut off one end below the lanyard knot, unlock the knit by pulling the end strand out of the loop,  and start pulling to unravel the length of cord.


I still had a couple of pewter Schmuckatelli 'Classic' skull beads that I bought a several years ago & found in a gadget drawer, to add to one of the lanyards, shown with my Leatherman Wave multitool.

And one with three pass Gaucho knots over wood beads, attached to my Nitecore P25 SMILODON LED flashlight, in a Maxpedition sheath.

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20 comments:

  1. jimmyd4/19/2014 08:49:00 AM

    Thanks, been wanting to make those style lanyards for a while, but didn't really understand how. Off to the store to get a piece of PVC. I am also ordering some of those beads, they are very cool.

    Thanks

    Jimmy d

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  2. Unknown4/23/2014 07:03:00 AM

    Hi! Great video - thank you!

    Is the orange Paracord cored, or did you leave the white center core in?

    -Steve

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  3. Unknown4/23/2014 08:20:00 PM

    Hi mr.stormdrain, thank you so much for your video,I sbscribed to your channel and before i check any other channel i eagerly check to see if you have posted anything and this time i was so excited to see that you have .I read your blog and your work is so clean and everything that I asspire to achieve, and more importantly I always get something out of your video. This time it was the way that you tied the lanyard knot at the end, you might think it should be easy to do ,but it took your video to teach me how to tie it at the end of a one strand project, and ive been tring for so long to figure it out thank you so very much.

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  4. Stormdrane4/25/2014 01:06:00 AM

    @Steve, The paraord's inner strands were left intact.

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  5. Unknown4/25/2014 06:27:00 PM

    What was the length of the paracord that you used,and what was the final length of the peice. Thanks for all your help.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Stormdrane4/25/2014 08:13:00 PM

    @Keith, I used a 17 foot long length of paracord for a finished 26 inch long lanyard.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous5/08/2014 03:17:00 PM

    Electrical tape?! I'd've thought you'd give that PVC fitting a nice half-hitch wrap or something! ;P
    Nice project. I've been wondering how that type of lanyard was tied, thanks for the poop! Lookng forward to trying it. Have you tried it with two colors?
    hw

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  8. Stormdrane5/08/2014 09:56:00 PM

    @hw, Yes I've used two colors before . ;)

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  9. Seppe6/01/2014 09:30:00 PM

    Great project!
    Would some Bondo resin, hardener,and fiberglass cloth work to hold the cotter pins on the PVC or would plain epoxy work better?
    Thanks,
    Seppe

    ReplyDelete
  10. Stormdrane6/01/2014 09:58:00 PM

    @Seppe, Other methods may hold the nails/cotter pins better around the outside of the PVC section than just the epoxy and tape I've used. As long as I don't put to much stress on the pins when pulling the work, they should stay put for a good while without breaking loose.

    Using some other types of spools, like wood or aluminum, can be better/stronger if you have enough material around the circumference to drill holes for the pegs/nails/pins, then insert them.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Seppe6/02/2014 06:22:00 PM

    Thanks, Stormdrane...
    After using the epoxy over the cotter pins, and letting it cure overnight, it looks like it will be solid enough... if one of the pins starts to loosen, then there's always more epoxy or Bondo.
    Thanks again for your great work!
    Seppe

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  12. Unknown6/13/2014 11:03:00 PM

    I am just getting into knotting, I made the two strand spool braid but it didn't come out as tight as yours. Is there a relationship between the diameter of the spool, cord size and the finished product?

    And love your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Stormdrane6/14/2014 07:03:00 AM

    @Matt, Yes, the cord diameter and nail/peg spacing affect how tight/loose the knit is made with the spool. Example link from one of my older blog posts.

    ReplyDelete
  14. DailyDiary7/02/2014 09:55:00 AM

    Can I ask why you don't talk on your YouTube videos? It would be so much easier to follow your videos if you gave verbal instructions while you were doing it instead of us having to stop and read.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Stormdrane7/02/2014 11:19:00 AM

    @DailyDiary, I don't do a lot of speaking, public or private, I have a speech impediment, which gets worse the more I talk. It's not something I advertise.

    I also have some hearing loss and tinnitus, so I don't often engage in verbal conversations either... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  16. KANE9/30/2014 11:22:00 AM

    Hello, Mr. Stormdrane.
    I'm your big fan in Korea.
    Always thanks for your great works.
    I found a method without a peg knitter, If you don't mind, please let me show to you about it. The URL of video is..
    http://gamsoogong.co.kr/220137234449

    Thanks:)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Unknown5/25/2017 07:44:00 PM

    I followed your instructions, thank you for making them. My question is I remember seeing a pic of yours that you put a gracho/ Turks head on to the chord midway, did you put the knot over the strand/ leave a empty space? Wanted to duplicate it and was not sure how to do it. Thanks for all your videos.
    Marc

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  18. Stormdrane5/25/2017 08:07:00 PM

    There are many possible ways to add a gaucho knot, but in the examples I've made, I usually use smaller diameter cord and tie then around a wooden bead and add them to the ends of the spool knit lanyards, then finish with a loop and lanyard knot.

    You could use the same strand of paracord and tie a gaucho at the ends, forming a loop and tying it back over itself, up against the end of the knit, or just leaving some space between the knit end and lanyard knot/loop and tie one in that space with the end strand.

    I don't add gaucho knots spaced along the knitted length, although I'm sure it could be done, but would be awkward in getting the knit worked up against the knots on either side, more trouble than I would want to spend time on, but still doable...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous5/26/2017 09:10:00 AM

    Thank you, for getting back to me. Do you have an email I that I can send you a message that is private so no one can see what I send you?
    Stay Safe,
    Gigs

    ReplyDelete
  20. Stormdrane5/26/2017 01:52:00 PM

    I can receive email at: Stormdrane (at) hotmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete

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