About
About Clamber Knots
A knot notebook that grew into a reference: what each knot costs in cord, how it behaves under tension, and where it goes wrong.
Last updated 20 Oct 2026 · · Clamber Knots · [email protected]
What this site is
Clamber Knots collects the knots and patterns used in macramé work and writes each one down the way it is actually made: the cord, the thickness, the repeat count, the finish, and the mistakes that appear when the same knot is tied a hundred times. Every entry carries a step line drawing of the cord at four stages, drawn from the knot sequence itself rather than taken from a photograph.
Who writes this
Every entry here is written and measured by The Knot Desk, the editorial desk that keeps this dictionary. The desk works from its own samples: cord is knotted, cut and trimmed before an entry is written, and each step drawing is generated from the recorded knot sequence rather than copied from a photograph. Corrections sent by readers are folded back into the entry itself, which is why the publishing date on an entry stays as it was.
How entries are written
Each entry is measured before it is written. Cord lengths come from working samples in 3 mm, 4 mm and 5 mm three-ply cotton, and the stated finished dimensions are taken from a pressed, finished piece rather than from a drawing. Working times are the honest ones: 90 minutes for a four cord plant hanger includes cutting, mounting and trimming the fringe.
Why entries appear gradually
The dictionary is published on a schedule rather than all at once. Roughly a third of the entries are available now and the rest are dated over the coming weeks, so each new knot or pattern arrives with a date next to it. You can see the whole schedule in the entry counts on the index pages.
Corrections
If a cord length in a pattern does not match what you measured, or a knot in the step drawing does not match the text, write to us. Corrections are applied to the entry itself, and the published date on the entry stays as it was so you can tell what changed and when.
Clamber Knots publishes knot and pattern notes for craft use. Nothing here is engineering, climbing or load-rating advice; a decorative knot is not a life-safety knot.