Jute Rope 1/2 Inch x 100Ft – Amazon link
Measure and cut two pieces of rope – 58 and 48 inches
Just so I don’t have to repeat it every time, tape both raw ends as soon as you make a cut. It will start unwinding otherwise.
Line up all four ends and tape the “handle”
Lay out the long rope horizontally
Line up the middle of the short rope with the base of the handle
and then straighten it out in a +
Loop the west end loosely over the south end
Loop the south end loosely over the east end
Loop the east end loosely over the north end
Bring the north end down through the original west end loop
Pull them tight gradually in diagonal pairs (south/east and north/west). The first knot rarely ever looks like a clean square.
So I don’t have to repeat it each time, rearrange so the west end has is the longest each time. It doesn’t affect the order.
Repeat
Clean square!
Repeat
Stick a thumb, marker, whatever in the square and tighten up around it
Repeat
aaaand repeat
and then repeat
There is usually one very short end by this point. Tuck it in
Cut off the next shortest one (and tape the end)
and tuck it in
It’s going to start getting tight in there now. Jam whatever you’ve got in there to rearrange its guts
Repeat
annnnd repeat
Cut the tape off the handle
The neatness of the first knot or two has a huge effect on the overall size. They have been getting shorter and shorter each one that I make.
