How to Tie a Flemish Eight in Macrame

Macrame is the art of decorating with knots and probably originated in Arabia during the 13th century. It spread through Europe and then to England where its popularity peaked in the late 19th century. The Flemish Eight knot, also known as a Figure Eight knot, is a very common one in macrame and easy to make.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Learn the characteristics of the Flemish Eight knot. It is larger and stronger than the overhand knot. It is also easier to untie and does not harm the rope as much as the overhand knot does and is therefore used in most cases.

2. Know when to use a Flemish Eight knot. It is a simple knot primarily used as a stopper to prevent a rope from passing through an eyelet. It should not be used for bend support where the smaller overhand knot is preferred.

3. Use the Flemish Eight knot for macrame. If the ends are frayed, you would normally seal them with a lighter before tying knots with it.

4. Tie a Flemish Eight knot. Form a simple loop A with 1 length of rope underneath the other and hold loop A so that it is pointed away from you. Take the bottom length and bring it back over the top portion of loop A.

5. Push the rope through loop A from the bottom and pull it tight. The resulting knot should resemble a figure eight.

Resources

• Information on tying knots