How to Make an Artful Scarf With Lace Knots

Square knots in your macrame scarf create a light and open weave.

Macrame is the art of tying knots with yarn, rope, string or cord to create lace-like webbing. You can use macrame to create wall art, garments, baskets and accessories. Once you learn to tie three or four basic knots, you can combine them to form artistic designs. Make a simple macramé scarf with heavy wool or acrylic yarn in approximately an hour that will keep you warm and cozy all winter long. All of the knots in the scarf are square knots.

Things You'll Need

• Yarn
• T-pins
• Foam core

Instructions

1. Cut 36 pieces of yarn 10 feet long. Group three pieces of yarn to make one strand. You will have 12 yarn strands to work with. You can make each strand a different color, combine strands in alternating colors or use variegated yarn to make your scarf colorful.

2. Select two strands of yarn for your first section, leaving a 3-inch tail above a square knot. Extend the right strand across the top of the left strand. Loop the left strand under the right one, up and over the top of the right strand to exit behind it. This now makes the original left strand the right strand and the right strand is the new left strand. Tie a second square knot tight against the first knot. Push a T-pin through the knots into a piece of foam core. Repeat this process with the remaining 32 strands of yarn to create five more knotted sections. Pin the six sections one inch apart on the foam core. Refer to the sections as A through F, starting from the left and moving to the right.

3. Take the left strand from section B and cross it over the right strand from section A to make a square knot approximately one inch below the previous square knot. Repeat this process, grouping right strands from the left sections with left strands in the section to the right. This will give you five internal knots and leave the two outside strands loose.

4. Move down one inch and tie a square knot with the two leftmost strands. Tie the next square knot with the next two strands. Repeat this until all 12 strands are tied in six square knots.

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4, moving down one inch for each row of knots until your scarf reaches the desired length. Tie a second square knot tight against the last knot in your scarf and trim the tails to 3 inches.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your knots loose and fluid