Datiche
For a one-person project: Slide the looped end without the knot over a door hinge or small hook. For a two-person project: Insert a double pointed needle or pencil between the strands of yarn at the looped end, just as you did at the knotted end. Monk's cord with attached tassels Materials: ·Scissors ·Tapestry Needle ·Rectangular object for wrapping $^{\bullet2}$ double pointed needles or pencils ·Yarn
Note: Making a monk's cord is much more easily accomplished with two people, so if you can press a friend, or even a passing acquaintance into service, so much the better. You can, however, do it alone. The pictures will demonstrate a onepersonproject. Step back until the strands are taut.
To make the monk's cord: Cut 2 pieces of yarn the appropriate length, then fold it in half, knotting the ends together. You will have four strands of yarn making up the monk's cord.
Now pinching the yarn lightly just behind the needle with your left hand, begin to twirl the needle clockwise with your right hand. Keep twisting unti the cord begins to kink on the ends.
Insert a double pointed needle or pencil between the strands of yarn on the knotted end, two strands on each side. Une-person project: Still keeping cord taut, take the loop end off the door hinge and bring it together with the knotted end, keeping a finger between the strands at the opposite loop end to maintain tension.
Two-person project: Let one person take both needles and the other keep a finger between the strands at the opposite loop end to maintain tension.
Now, while still keeping the cord taut, release loop end in 3-4 inch intervals, pinching the cord as you move up to the knotted end. The two strands will twist on themselves, creating the cord.
Making and attaching tassel:
Wrap yarn around a 5”' piece of cardboard or found rectangular object 20-24 times. Cut yarn strands open at the rectangle's bottom edge.
Slide cord ends off needles and knot the two cord ends together. Trim.
Separate strands into two equal clumps and slide the loop end of the monk's cord between them.
With a $15^{\circ}$ length of yarn on a tapestry needle and starting with the right-hand clump of strands, pierce the cord close to the end, coming up from underneath.
Starting with the right-hand clump, and leaving about an $8^{\circ}$ tail, bring the threaded needle up around the outside of the clump, then down through the opening where you separated the two clumps, and pierce cord again above the original entrance point to enclose them. Draw needle through and tighten. Rotate the finished clump around, so that it is now on the lefthand side of your hand, and bring needle down around the other clump of strands, underneath them, then pierce needle through the original entrance, coming from the opposite direction.
This will enclose both sets of strands, affixing them to the monk's cord.
Turn the tassel upside down and find the beginning and ending pieces of your attaching yarn (they should be longer than your tassel strands) tie them in a knot underneath. Turn tassel right side up and smooth the strands, adjusting lengths of individual strands, if necessary.
With a $20^{\circ}\cdot$ length of yarn on a needle, wrap yarn tightly around all strands starting about 1-1/2 inches from the tassel head, working from bottom to top, hiding the end of the yarn within the wrapping itself.
When you've made a wide enough “"neck", plunge the needle tightly down into the center of the tassel, behind the neck wrapping stitches.
Remove needle and trim ends even.
If using this as a tasseled drawstring for a bag, make another tassel and attach it at the knotted end just as you did for the looped end, doing all the sewing above the knot. Note: Be sure to put the monk's cord through the bag holes before you attach the tassels since you will never be able to get tassels through those little, bitty holes. Ask me how I know.
