| Scoubidou
4.
A scoubidou
crocodile. |
You need about 9
strands of scoubidou, (the 80 cm or 1 meter size.) If you keep your knots a
little loose maybe more. If you want a lifelike animal use all greens you
have at hand. You are likely to need more strands than the greens you have,
you can use yellow, brown, gold or black. The color you start with is going
to run out before you are finished, put three strands of this color to the
side, for use later on.
Start with two dark greens, they may be different colors. Place them as they
are in the first picture, tie a crown knot, the second picture. You may need
a little help, ask a friend to hold a finger on the crossing. Make the next
knot the other way round, the next picture. Make a total of four knots. Make
a next knot but do not tighten, put in a new string and then tighten. |

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Tie two knots with
six strands, this is called the lengthened crown knot, going the other
direction each next knot. In the third knot you ad a new string again. Make
three knots with eight strands, in the next do not tie the middlemost two
strands but let them stick out from between the longer strands. Tighten this
knot real well, as you do with the next two. Now go on tying with all
strands, again for three knots. |

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If you want to give
the crocodile legs, take one strand you had put to the side, cut it in four.
Place them into your work by treading them through a loop, at the side/bottom
of your work, before tightening the knot. You can do two at a time or one on
each side now and again in the next knot (looks better.) Pull softly on the
leg strands to check they do go around a loop. When making the legs, put also
an extra strand in the middle of the body.
Tie one or two knots with the ten strings for the body to fix the leg
strands. Then make the legs, I just make the crown knot turning, (the first
knot on this page over and over again.) Six knots gives nice legs, tighten
the last two knots really well. If you work with the special hollow scoubidou
strands you can just cut the strands short, if you work with normal string,
use a little glue to fix the strands before cutting. |

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From adding the
last new strand make 14 knots before starting the hind legs. When you ad the
strands at the side, take the middle two strands out in between the long
strands, taking them out of the work. Tie two knots, cut the strands taken
out short and tie the hind legs. Tie another knot. Take the next two strands
out and tie a next two knots, cut the ends and tie another knot. Go on till
there are only four strands left. If at the start of the tail one strand is
too short you can tie the tail out of three strands, it two strands are short
either replace them with on of the strands you should take out, or put one
new strand in. The tail should be 12 knots long. Tighten the last two knots
real well, if working with scoubidou cut short, working with string, use glue
and then cut short.
If one end run
short you can place a new strand along the left over bit and tie them
together for a few knots. If they are the longer one in the lengthened crown
knot, (the long ones in the pictures on this page,) one knot will be enough.
You can also have a strand in the middle of the knot (like when taking out
strands) and exchange it with the short strand.
If you are afraid the knot will get undone when you cut short, leave the work
overnight and check the knot the next day. When working with the special
scoubidou string if the knot has stayed tight it will not come undone any
more, and you can cut at less than one mm. If in doubt or working with other
string use glue but check on a leftover piece of string because some glues
melt plastic.
Have fun. |
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