How to Expand Alternating Square Knot Rows into a Wider Macrame Panel

An alternating pattern connects neighboring knots by regrouping their strands. Macrame UK demonstrates this with eight hanging strands: tie the middle four first, then make two knots using the left and right halves of that central knot together with the unused side strands. The knotted area expands because more strands enter the pattern. See the maker’s illustrated sequence.

A widening section therefore needs strands available outside its current knotted edges. Gründl’s wall-hanging instructions use this principle explicitly: after narrowing a triangle by leaving outside cords unworked, they build a mirrored triangle by bringing those cords back into the knots as the shape widens. Gründl’s Macramé Wall Hanging pattern

Before starting, identify your situation:

What you have	How to proceed
Unused strands hanging beside a narrow section	Bring the nearest pair into each edge on successive rows.
A panel already using every mounted strand	Add strands to the support before using this widening method, or rework the layout.
Enough strands, but a panel that looks too compact	Make a small spacing sample before changing the strand count.

For this tutorial, expansion means increasing the number of strands participating in the knotted section. Decide that first so you can count the available pairs before tying.

Use a dowel-mounted piece with unused strands on both sides of the section you want to expand. Have a ruler, a cardboard spacing strip and removable labels available. Keep the work facing the same direction throughout the numbered example.

Here, a cut cord means one separate length before mounting; a strand means one hanging end after mounting. Folding a cord over a support with a lark’s head produces two hanging strands. Thus, eight folded cords provide the 16 strands used below. Fire Mountain Gems demonstrates the same mounting relationship with two cut cords producing four strands. Macramé Basics, Techniques and Finishing Techniques

Each square knot uses four strands: the outer two are working strands, and the middle two are fillers. To tie one:

1. Bring the left working strand across the front of the two fillers and beneath the right working strand.
2. Take the right working strand behind the fillers and forward through the loop on the left. Tighten evenly.
3. Reverse the direction: bring the right working strand across the fillers and beneath the left working strand.
4. Take the left working strand behind the fillers and forward through the right loop. Tighten to complete the knot.

Complete both halves before moving to the next group. Repeating the same half produces a twisting pattern rather than a flat square knot. Fire Mountain Gems’ square knot instructions

The following is an illustrative strand map derived from the alternating-knot method. Number the hanging positions 1–16 from left to right. The numbers describe positions across the work; keep the strands in order between knots rather than crossing them to follow a particular cut cord.

Leave six strands unused on each side and begin with the central four. Each successive widening row brings in the nearest two unused strands on the left and the nearest two on the right.

Row	Tie square knots on these strand groups	Knots across	Unused strands at each edge
1	7–10	1	6
2	5–8; 9–12	2	4
3	3–6; 7–10; 11–14	3	2
4	1–4; 5–8; 9–12; 13–16	4	0

Row 1: Tie one square knot with strands 7–10. Position it centrally beneath the support, leaving room for the unused strands to descend beside it.

Row 2: Tie strands 5–8 together, then strands 9–12. Each new knot combines two previously unused strands with two strands from the central knot. Set both knots at the same height.

Row 3: Tie groups 3–6, 7–10 and 11–14. The middle knot connects the two knots above; the outside knots each introduce another unused pair.

Row 4: Tie groups 1–4, 5–8, 9–12 and 13–16. Every strand is now included. Pause here and check that both sides expand evenly before continuing downward.

This sequence gives you a widening triangle of connected square knots. The library’s Macrame 2023 handout describes the same general approach as forming a reverse V by adding ropes back into the pattern, with attention to level knots and the tension of previously unworked strands.

For the standard four-strand square knots used here, multiply the desired number of knots in a full row by four. This is a strand-count calculation; it does not predict the finished width in inches or centimeters.

For example, a full row of six knots requires 6 × 4 = 24 hanging strands. If the current central row has three knots, it uses 12 strands. To expand symmetrically to six knots, reserve another 12 strands: six on the left and six on the right.

Each widening row in this method adds four active strands altogether—two at each edge—so the knot count increases by one. Going from three knots to six therefore takes three widening rows. This arithmetic follows directly from the four-strand grouping and the illustrated expansion sequence.

Check the reserve on each side separately. Having 12 unused strands in total will not produce a centered expansion if ten are on one side and two are on the other. For a new layout, arrange equal reserves around the central section before knotting.

Choose a row gap and use it consistently while learning the sequence. Gründl recommends a cardboard template between rows to maintain even spacing; its particular wall-hanging pattern uses a 2 cm strip. Treat that measurement as a project example, then choose a gap that suits your own sample. Gründl’s pattern and knot guide

At each new edge knot, check three things before tightening fully: the four strands are in the correct order, the knot sits level with the others in that row, and the strands descending from above are not pulling it sideways. The Louisburg Library handout specifically calls out keeping rows even and avoiding tension that makes an expanding edge knot crooked.

Measure only after releasing your hands from the work. For a practical width check, record both the widest completed row and the following inset row. Use the same measurement points when comparing samples, rather than measuring one sample across knot centers and another across the outer loops.

Do not assign a fixed width to each added knot without a sample. The strand map determines which knots connect; your chosen cord and spacing still need to be assessed in the actual piece.

After Row 4 of the example, stop bringing additional strands into the pattern. Continue with two repeating row arrangements:

• Inset row: Set aside strands 1–2 and 15–16. Tie square knots on 3–6, 7–10 and 11–14.
• Full row: Bring the edge strands back into use. Tie square knots on 1–4, 5–8, 9–12 and 13–16.

Repeat the inset and full rows for the desired panel length. The count alternates between three and four knots, while the same 16 strands remain available throughout. Macrame UK’s eight-strand tutorial shows this return from two outside knots to a central connecting knot on a smaller scale. Beginners Macrame Knots — Alternating Square Knots

The key transition is between adding previously unused pairs and temporarily setting aside edge pairs. Once you have reached the intended width, keep returning to the same full-row grouping.

If all mounted strands are already participating, the worked expansion cannot continue until additional strands are available. For a dowel-mounted piece with room at the ends, one option is to mount extra folded cords beside the existing work, then incorporate their hanging strands using the same numbered-group logic. Their unknotted lengths will remain visible above the joining row, so include that appearance in your layout decision.

For example, changing a 16-strand arrangement into a 24-strand arrangement requires eight additional hanging strands. With folded lark’s head mounts, that means four additional cut cords: two mounted at each side. Renumber the complete arrangement before planning the joining rows. The mounting arithmetic follows the method demonstrated by Fire Mountain Gems.

If you want the wider section to connect continuously from the top, reworking the mounting and earlier rows may suit the design better. Sketch the visible strand paths before committing to either arrangement.

What you notice	What to check	Adjustment
One edge widens sooner	Did both sides receive two unused strands in that row?	Undo the affected row and restore matching edge groups.
Knots form separate columns	Did you repeat the same four-strand groups?	Use the shifted groups in the next row of the map.
A knot twists	Did you complete opposite halves?	Retie it as a complete square knot.
The last row looks uneven	Are the edge knots level with the interior knots?	Adjust that row before continuing.
The panel keeps narrowing	Are you repeatedly setting aside additional edge pairs?	Return to the full-row arrangement after each inset row.

Finish the transition by checking the strand groups from left to right, then work one inset row and one full row. When those rows connect evenly, continue the same repeat to your chosen length. The strand map gives you a repeatable way to widen the knotted area and a clear point at which to stop expanding.

• Beginners Macrame Knots - 3. Alternating Square Knots — Macrame UK
• Macramé Wall Hanging, including Basic Macramé Knots — Gründl
• Macramé Basics, Techniques and Finishing Techniques — Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
• Macrame 2023 - handout — Louisburg Library