Please take pity on me and HELP....

[entiendo]

I'm almost in tears...here's the picture, this is the 3rd time I've tried to figure out this interweave. The first this knot was all black but I ended up with parallels that were not split when I went back to tighten the knot. Since this is the very first time I've taken on a gaucho that was more than basic I thought maybe I just missed something. I took it all out and thought I should use a second color so I could watch what I was doing. My first choice was the natural but sadly that hide was to weak to do this button. I even cut 1/8 inch from my "A" cut of the hide and I still lost a string halfway through doing this darn knot, so sadly I didn't get far enough to know if my second color idea was working. Now here I am, I thought I was finished and it just does not look right and I still have parallels! Help. please. I looked through my book and I thought I did it right but clearly I'm doing something wrong.

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Edited December 27, 2008 by entiendo

[entiendo]

Oh and here is a picture where I circled a couple of the parallels, thought that might be helpful.

[CitizenKate]

entiendo, I am sorry I do not have the answer to your dilemma. But there are some very good braiders who are members here, so I am very confident you will get some help soon.

Kate

[rawhide1]

entiendo

It looks like you had finished the knot and then came back trying to braid in a extra string. I really can't tell from the pictures but thats my best guess. I'm at work right now and the screen aint the best. I'm hoping someone else will chime in here and let us know for sure. If not when I get home in the morning and get some time I'll try and get a better look at it.

Best of luck!!

Mike

[entiendo]

The blue is the interweave. I see what you are saying, it looks like I added an extra black pass, but that's not the case.

[HorsehairBraider]

Entiendo - is this a knot with a foundation or turk's head that you tie first? If so, take a deep breath... and take out the blue. Then go over your foundation with a fine-toothed comb and make sure there are no mistakes in it. Once you are CERTAIN your foundation is good, and that you've got it distributed evenly, start again... and take it easy and slow. Pour yourself a nice cup of your favorite beverage and don't get in any hurry.

If this is one that does not have a foundation (what I would call a "built" knot) I would suggest to just start over. This sometimes happens - you get an over mixed up with an under in one or two places and the next thing you know you have invented a new knot... one that can't be tied evenly... It's OK to start over. That's how you learn.

There is a way to tie a knot like this with several strands. You might try that too, as I've personally found it a nice way to go. It seems to go pretty fast, and you don't wear the leather out pulling it through so many overs and unders.

[entiendo]

Yes, this has a foundation turk's head, and I did go over it with a fine tooth comb when I messed up on the black and then went over it again when I pulled out the natural. I'm certain that the foundation string is correct because I've never had any trouble with large herringbone interweaves. In fact there is a large herringbone on the other end of this quirt.

But thank you very, very much. I'm prepared to pull it apart but I need to know what it is I'm doing wrong because I already have hours and hours invested in this darn button and I can't make the same mistake(s) again.

And I'm dying to learn how to do nose buttons, I think that's what they are called, but haven't figured it out yet.

Edited December 27, 2008 by entiendo

[KAW]

You messesed up on one complete pass cause your double repeats itself throughout the knot to fix it you will have to back it up and do it over or cut it off and start over , sometimes its easier just to start over cause if your mistake was is in the foundation you will likely cut it off anyway, some times it helps to leave it for awhile then start it over another day. hope you get it worked out.

[TwinOaks]

I haven't tried the goucho knot yet, but I found out something interesting ( and related) when I made some 'spanish ring' bracelets for Christmas gifts.

For the spanish ring, the primary knot (turks head) must be based on sets of 4 bights (forgive me if I have my terms wrong- I'm calling a bight the criss crossing of one of the two original loops). When I tried to make it with 6 bights, the o/u passes ended up on the wrong side of the standing end to finish the knot. 8 bights, or 2 sets, brought the running end back to the same side as the standing end, like the 4 bight.

I mention this because it sounds like you've either added a or missed a bight in the base knot, and it's thrown off the o/u pattern by one string/lace.

[HorsehairBraider]

Yeah, it does look like you messed up on a couple of passes with the blue. Your foundation does look OK from what I can see. But all I can really say is, pull out the blue and start over. I can't tell if the wrong passes are at the start (that's what I would think is the case) or at the end... or somewhere in the middle. You did it pretty consistently though, the whole pass shows it.

Using a contrasting color is good. If your pattern starts to go wrong stop right away and look things over real careful. The contrasting color will bring up a pattern pretty quick, in this case zig zags straight up and down the knot. The minute you get something in the wrong place stop and see what is going on. That's the best I can tell you, without you sitting right here and me showing you.