Here are some basic knots I learned in our macramé unit.
The Lark’s Head Knot (instructions)
The Half Knot (instructions)
I like how it spirals when you do a lot of them.
The Square Knot (instructions)
This one is almost exactly the same as the half knot, but instead of repeating the same steps exactly, you alternate which strand you start with. As a result, a “sennit” of them lays flat. Sennit means a cord made by braiding or lashing. Good word.
You can have fun with them if you leave bigger loops.
The Half Hitch (instructions)
You can do a series of vertical half hitches, horizontal half hitches, or diagonal half hitches. You can even do a sennit of half hitches, which will spiral.
The Cross Knot
This is a cute little knot that is surprisingly tricky to learn. One of my classmates shared a drawing of it with me and we figured out together how to tie it.
The Josephine Knot or Carrick Bend (instructions)
This is one of my favourites. I like how it looks when multiple strands are used. I would like to try and tie this with ceramic cord if I can figure out how to do it.