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	Rattler Knot

See the String and Rope section for more instructions, hints and tips.

This reminds me of a rattlesnake rattle, but others tell me it reminds them of corn. If you know the real name of this knot (or have a humorous suggestion), I'd appreciate hearing from you.

Parachute chord is 3/16" diameter nylon and comes in a wide variety of bright colors. It is sometimes available in dollar stores. You might also try home supply, army and navy stores, camping stores, and the Internet.

Cut and melt or fuse the ends with the flame from a candle or lighter. As an alternative, you can use super glue. Just add a drop or two to the chord where you want to cut it. Let it harden and then cut it in the middle of the glue spot with a knife.

The binder clip is used to hold the chord tight while you tie the knot. Without it your knot is more liable to look loose and sloppy. The binder clip can be found in office supply stores. You could also use a clip board or desk drawer. You could use a nail driven into a piece of wood instead of the clip but this isn't quite as easy.

• Secure the chord in the clip about 3" from one end. The short end is called the standing end; the long end is called the running end.
• Form a loop as shown in the photo below.
  
  
  
  
• Make a figure 8 around the two sides of the loop as shown below. Loop around, pull the chord tight and hold it in place with the other hand.
  
  
  
  
• Continue making more figure 8's until you use up the entire chord.

If you run out of loop and have extra chord, take the knot apart and start again with a larger loop.

Pull the running end of the chord to tighten up the knot - you should have about 3" to work with. Work the chord to make it uniform. Glue and trim the running end.

A simple way to finish the neckerchief slide is to form a 3/4" diameter loop with the standing end and hot glue the standing end to the back of the knot. Trim off any excess.

A better way to finish the neckerchief slide is shown in the photo below. Loosen the top two figure 8s. Push the standing end through these loops and work to make the knot uniform. Trim off any excess.

Then to put on the neckerchief slide, loosen the loop, slide it onto the ends of the neckerchief, and then pull the loop tight to secure it. Bend the loop and knot so they lay flat.