- Horisontal Double Half Hitch. Going left to right.
To learn and train knots cut several cords approximately 60cm (23 in) long.
Mount one of the cords on the board as described in the Lesson 1. It wil be the Anchor cord. Mount other cords on the AC with a wider variety of Lark’s Head knot as described in the Lesson 2.
Remove the pin from the left end of the mounting row AC, pin the left LH knot to the board to hold your work in place. You can find it helpful to pin your work in several places. Loosen the left SL knot. Turn the cord to the right over the rest of the cords. Hold and pull it tightly with fingers of your right hand. This cord will be the new AC for the first row of DHH. The AC should be always under tense, never make it loose until you finish the row.
For one row the AC is always the same. You work with the WC, taking it one by one and making knots with every one. AC is always above WCs before you begin to tie a DHH.
With your left hand take the first hanging loose end (1st WC) from the left and make a loop around the AC. This loop as a Half-hitch. It is used to reduce the width of the knot when necessary. But it looses easily when left by itself.
Tighten the loop holding it and mooving it close to the left side and up towards the mounting row. Hold the AC tightly. The AC should not become a part of the knot it only acts as a holding bar.
With the same WC make another loop around the AC.
Tighten the knot. This Is DHH.
Continue holding AC tightly. Take the next loose end and make DHH with it. Make DHH working one by one with every loose WC.
At the end of the first row you will have loose WC hanging down from your work and two AC going to the right of your work. Unpin the right pin of the mounting row AC. Loosen the SK and use the cord as the WC, making the last DHH on the AC of the first row.
Going on training DHH left to right:
* For the second row take the first WC from the left, turn it to the right with your right hand, pull and hold tightly.
With your left hand make DHH with the loose WC starting from the left side as you did for the first row. Work through all WC one by one up to the end of the row.
** The last DHH in the second row is made with the AC from the first row.
You can continue trainging you DHH (left to right) repeating the steps from * to **. Please note, that every next row shifts one DHH to the right, which gives you a diagonal band.
NOTE: To make even and beautiful knots and rows you should:
- Hold and pull the AC tightly and never make it loose.
- Direct the AC not just parallel your rows but slightly up, directing it to the previous row. Thus you will have no space left between your rows.
- Tighten each loop of your knots evenly and leave no space between the knots.
2. Horisontal Double Half Hitch. Going right to left.
Take the last AC with your left hand, turn it to the left, hold it tightly over your work. This will be AC for the new row. We will knot the row of DHH going from right to left.
* With your right hand take the first WC from the right and make a loop. Tighten the loop.
** Still holding tightly the AC with you left hand, make the second loop with the same WC. Tighten the second loop, adjust the knot.
Holding the AC tightly, make sure the AC does not become a part of the knot. Direct the AC slightely up toward the previous row.
Repeat from * to ** to make the DHHs with the rest of the WC. Make sure to tighten all the loops evenly.
Please note that the row of DHHs when going right to left shifts to the left. Thus knotting alternatevely several rows of DHHs from right to left and back we obtain a zig-zag pattern, which is used widely when knotting flowers (for instance).