Knotty Pirate

This is the finished project. A bottle decorated with three Turks Head Knots. There are only three knots on this bottle. The RED and the BLUE knots are each a 20 Bight by 3 Lead Turks Head Knots. The WHITE knot is a 20 Bight by 19 Lead Turks Head Knot.

For those of you that are new to tying the Turks Head Knot I am going to suggest you use the Turks Head Cookbook from Knot Tool. First of all you get a book to make virtually hundreds of Turks Head Knots in very simple and easy to understand instructions. In the kit you also get the tools you need to start tying knots right away. And you get a threaded needle which is absolutely essential in tying complex knots. I am NOT affiliated with Knot Tool in any way, shape, or form. But when I find a good product, I like to share my opinion.









OK so let's get started. I am going to show you all the steps that I do to get to the end product....

Step 1: Preparation.
You will need to find a bottle you like. I used an empty instant tea bottle, of course washed and dried. (I like to put the bottle in the oven for a few minutes to dry the inside without water spots. Take off the lid and do not put lid in the oven.) Now measure the circumference of the bottle. Take a cord and tightly wrap the cord around the bottle. Mark where the ends meet, and use a ruler to measure the length of the cord. For my instant tea bottle the circumference is 27cm. I know from past knots that I have tied, that I want my knot to have 20 Bights in the top and bottom (bands) knots. I am going to use the Bights in the (bands) knots to tie the middle knot. Now divide the number of Bights (20) into the size of the circumference (27) to get the space between each Bight (1.35)... With me so far???

Now take two pieces of painters tape, using a ruler measure out the length of the circumference and mark the length on the both pieces of tape. Next you will mark the space between each Bight on the tape.

I like to use pegs when tying Turks Head Knots, it just makes tying the knot easier.
Now take a hole punch to cut holes in the tape where the lines meet. You will place the pegs in the holes.
These are what I use for pegs.

Insert a peg in each hole and carefully stick the first piece of tape to the bottle.


Now do the same thing with the second piece of tape. The numbers on each piece of tape must line up.

This picture shows you what you should have now. This odd looking thing will be your map to tie the Turks Head Knot. And this is the end of Step 1...











Step 2: Tying the Knot (not a wedding)




















Using the Turks Head Cookbook, follow the numbers going over and under as indicated in the book. I chose a 20 Bight by 3 Lead knot, which will give me a nice band around the bottle. Once the ends meet you have made one complete knot. Tape the "running" end of your cord and start removing the pegs and the tape.
Be careful not to untie the knot as you remove the pegs and tape from the bottle. Continue to remove all the pegs and remove the tape from the bottle. At this point the knot will be very loose and will need to be tightened up.
Here you can see just how much the knot expanded. Starting with the "standing" end, begin to pull the slack out of the knot going towards the "running" end of the cord. Do not expect to pull all the slack out at once. You may have to make 3 - 5 attempts at removing the slack out of the knot. DO NOT remove all of the slack out of the knot. In order to make the "bands" we will have to triple the Turks Head Knot. We will do this by following the knot three times. The threaded needle will really come in handy here.









Once you have made three passes of the Turks Head Knot, use your needle to go under your knot about half the circumference and cut the cord. The knot will be tight enough to hide the tail in place.TIP: I carefully add a couple of drops of super glue UNDER the band to hold them in place and keep them from sliding around in the next steps. A drop or two in 3 or 4 places around the band should be enough.

Now repeat this whole step for the second band.
When tying the second band, you must make sure the Bights line up to the first band. This is crucial for the next step.
Wipe down the bottle to make sure all your finger prints and adhesive from the tape are all removed. You want to make sure your bottle is clean at this point. Any dirt or finger prints left on the bottle will be almost impossible to remove. From this point on we will use gloves when tying our last knot...

Step 3: Tying It All Together

Stick a piece of painters tape on top of your first band, leaving the bottom of the knot exposed. 
Use a marker to count the number of Bights in your knot. Instead of using the pegs we are going to use the Bights to tie our next Turks Head Knot.

Do the same thing for the bottom band, but you must make sure your numbers on top and bottom line up. So #1 on top should be the same position as #1 on the bottom.

Again using the Turks Head Cookbook and the threaded needle you are going to follow the instructions, going over and under as indicated in the book. Be sure to use gloves when ever you handle the bottle.



















For this Turks Head Knot I am using a 20 Bight by 19 Lead knot.

Because of the amount of cord you are working with, your cord will get twisted and knotted. You will have to un-twist the cord often.... Its a pain in the rear, but it has to be done. And it has to be done alot!

Continue to tie the knot until you finish the knot. If you have the cord and the patience you can double or triple the knot. When you are done, use your needle to hide the ends under your bands. Cut the ends and your DONE...