Ever Tried to make an Orthodox Prayer Rope?

[Dewi Sant]

I am trying at the moment and the knots are quite difficult to make but once you learn it it is quite easy.

I am trying to make a wrist one of 33 knots (forgotten what the name is)

http://www.wattfamily.org/prayerope.html That site is really useful to learn the knot on.

So far I have two knots, I know it isn't much but it is an achievement for me because I could only make the first knot before. Like in the video I am using black and white wool. When I get better I'll try using black and black.

 

[Oblio]

I got dizzy looking at the photos. I would say it is an accomplishment to make one knot.

 

[Dewi Sant]

I have six knots so far.

I can see this is going to take some time. But it is really nice and calming to do. I can understand why monks make them.


The video is better but what annoyed me with the video is that the man spent a long time over the easy part and rushed the difficult bits .


My knots are getting better, tighter and closer together. There is a small gap between each knot (that I know shouldn't be there) but to keep it uniform I am trying to keep a 3mm gap between each knot.

 

[moses916]

its ok the prayer rope expands over time anyways

 

[Monica child of God 1]

eoe has made one, I think. I think he even has a video of instructions.

M.

 

[eoe]

I think he even has a video of instructions.

It is the Watt Family's video that I used. You just have to watch it about 100x while you tie your first few knots. After that it is like riding a bike.

The advice I will give - If you want a "pretty" rope - when you pull the knot you are tying up to the knot that came before it - do it very tightly. The knots loosen with use and if they were not pretty uniformly tight to begin with they get uneven. Of course that is if you want it to look good. I personally like the knots to have some space between them as it makes it easier to feel the individual knots They just are not very nice to look at.

What material are you using? Wool? Rattail? I used 2mm rattail and the end product is nice to use in prayer as the knots are large and easily felt but I think you would need a 1mm cord to make a bracelet out of.

 

[Dewi Sant]

I am using wool (made of acrylic).


The Watts family video is useful but like you said it requires watching over and over and over again.


Do you use two colours or just one.



I think it is like tying a shoelace. Increadibly difficult at first and you use two different colours but as you get better you can make all sorts of different knots and use one colour.

 

[Dewi Sant]

I've made a keychain instead of 10 knots.

I basically made a dodgy knot and cut it off so it was too short .


But I quite like it as a sample of my first knots.

 

[eoe]

Do you use two colours or just one.

For my first couple I used two colors - dark purple and black. It was a big help to be able to see what was going where - a single color for a first rope would have been far more difficult. Now that I have the tying / weaving process down I could do it blindfolded.

I am using wool (made of acrylic).

I imagine that is a bit harder too. the fuzzy parts would confuse me especially at the part where you are pulling the knot shut. The smooth rattail was easy to identify.

The Watts family video is useful but like you said it requires watching over and over and over again.

And over and over and over..... I am considering making a new video and tying the knot with 1" rope to exaggerate the demonstration.

Increadibly difficult at first and you use two different colours but as you get better you can make all sorts of different knots and use one colour.

Agreed.

I've made a keychain instead of 10 knots.

Too funny. I got about that far on my first attempt and thought "Hey that would be a great keychain." I totally almost did the same thing.

I basically made a dodgy knot and cut it off so it was too short

Ah... I imagine with the fuzzy wooly stuff it would be really hard to untie one of the knots. With the rattail it is pretty easy.

 

[Dewi Sant]

I don't think we have any rattail, my mum is pretty crafty (in the arts sense ) and might have some.


I am going to try to make another. This time I will try to make the knots closer together and basically better.



Wool is difficult for the reason that it is not only fuzzy but also static, it sticks to itself and can be quite annoying.



I will go to town tomorrow and I'll buy some black and purple rattail. Black and purple will be good or maybe because it is coming up to Easter, Black and crimson.
Black for the mourning and crimson for the blood and sacrafice.

 

[eoe]

Black for the mourning and crimson for the blood and sacrafice.

That's the way I saw it too.

 

[Greg the byzantine]

I will go to town tomorrow and I'll buy some black and purple rattail. Black and purple will be good or maybe because it is coming up to Easter, Black and crimson.
Black for the mourning and crimson for the blood and sacrafice.

Actually in the Orthodox Tradition not only is black a color of mourning, but purple is as well. Go to an orthodox church on Good Friday and you will see purple everywhere. It's actually one of those awwe stirring moments for me when I walk in to the Dark church where people are holding candles and the icons have purple ribbons on them, and the vestments and the cloths are all purple and you are waiting in line to venerate the flower covered Epitaphios and the lametations are being sung :::::goosebumps::::::........


Sorry to digress, but purple might be a very appropriate color for the upcoming season.

 

[Dewi Sant]

Ok, I'll use purple.

I was thinking of Puple just because it is a colour that compliments black very well but if it has more meaning I'll use that.
I suppose that Purple represents majesty also.

 

[Annoula]

i like coloured komposkoinia.
i don't really like the black colour in general.

i have one blue, one green and one in the colour of tile. (don't know how the colour is called!)

i would love to make my own colourful komposkoinia too!
and i would start with purple cause it's my favourite colour!!!

 

[Happy Orthodox]

I learned how to do prayer rope and made some that I have at home. I don't know where to get proper wool for that, so I just used cross stich thread of different colors. But I really want to make black wool prayer ropes, because that is the ideal. You can also get creative and put beeds or beed crosses to divide groups of knots in long prayer ropes. Also, i'm short on time and finances right now, so, maybe summer would be a good time for that. The Greeks I know call it "komboskini" and I also started to call it that. Russian word "chetki" somehow is associated with Islam in my mind, because they use prayer beeds too, and that's what they are called. I did not know then that in Orthodoxy you also have prayer beeds and ropes.

 

[Dewi Sant]

I don't have any beads but I don't think I would decorate it with beads. I like the simplicity of the design rather than the extravagance of a Catholic rosary which can easily lead to thousands of dollars in value.

What difference does it make if your rosary is made of pine wood or diamonds?
Another way of putting it: Why buy expensive fishing equipment? The trout won't know the difference!



I have an anglican rosary which I keep with me at all times. It is quite simple with olive wood beads and amber glass seperators with a wooden cross.