Answering a Question on Facebook

Yesterday on Facebook Elisabetta posted a picture of a pair of earrings and was wondering how they were finished.
Since the design for the earrings is not mine, and I do not want to step on someone's toes by using their beautiful design without their permission I feel awkward duplicating how to create them. But creating a diamond with 2 rows of diagonal double half hitches is a common enough part of the design and where you would need to cut the cords can be accomplished in the following pictures.

1. If you have 12 cords, start a row of diagonal double half hitches from the 7th cord in the center; you will tie 6 double half hitch knots that together slant down towards the left.












2. Then create a row of diagonal double half hitch knots that slant down to the right starting with that 7th cord as the cord that is wrapped with the other cords. This will keep the left hand side and the right hand side from separating.










3. Now tie a row of diagonal double half hitches beneath the row on the left.











4. Tie a row of diagonal double half hitches below the row on the right side.












5. This next part is a little tricky and there may be a vastly superior way to accomplish this step, but this is how I would do it. Take cord 1 and use it as the cord to be wrapped and start a row of diagonal double half hitch knots slanting down towards the center. Then take cord 12 on the right hand side and start a row of diagonal double half hitches that slant towards the center.










This is what it will look like when you have finished both the left side and the right side.










6. Now tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots beneath the left hand side row, then tie a row of diagonal double half hitches beneath the right had row.













7. Turn the knotted piece over to its back. Dab clear fingernail polish on the outer rows of diagonal double half hitch knots, only on the back side. I do this twice to ensure that the knots are saturated with fingernail polish, which acts like a glue to cement the knots in place. Be sure to let the fingernail polish dry - this is important!









8. Cut the cord as close as you can to the knotted diamond; do not cut into the knots. At this point you can singe the edges of the cords so that they are cropped close to the knotted diamond. Here I have used a stick of incense (a joss stick) but you can use a singeing tool instead. I do not recommend using a cigarette lighter because the flame will be too big and you can damage your knotwork too easily.














Here is what the edge of the diamond will look like if you singe the edges. Usually I do not bother to singe the edges on light colored cords because the edges will be black. Also the singed edges are stiffer and can be uncomfortable and hard to wear.












Here is an example of a knotted necklace that was made of a cotton cording (perhaps embroidery floss) that can be cut close then folded to the back side of the piece. You are seeing the back side of the necklace with the lower edges folded up under the green beads.