Home-Made Prayer Ropes

[Ioustinos]

Have any of you successfully made your own prayer rope?

I've tried a few times making my own with some yarn, but all I do is end up with knotted up and tangled yarn.

I usually buy mine from St. Paisius Monastery, but with money tight I can't afford to splurge.

I want to make a little 33 knot rope to keep in my pocket at work. Some Orthodox site suggested that instead of fidgeting with our phones during the day we should pull out the prayer rope instead. I thought it was a great idea but all I have at the moment is a 100 knot rope. I don't think that would fly at work

Any tips?

 

[Trying_to_be_Orthodox]

I have bought good beautiful rope with stone balls. Then it was broken and i've made small 10th rope from rest of it

So my tip - i buy cheap ropes from wood for 1-3usd. Think best solution from begginers.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I can't afford one either.

I've looked at the directions, and maybe when you get the hang of it, it goes well. But I'm actually pretty good at such things, and I haven't even attempted it yet. It looks like a mass of knotted rope is what you'd probably end up with until gaining some experience.

I will make one suggestion. Different kinds of fibers act differently. Yarn is probably not the easiest to learn with. If you want to learn, I would suggest buying some rattail cord of a decent thickness and practicing with that. I think it may produce knots that are larger than you want, but if you gain some skill with an easily-handled material you can then attempt something else.

A section of rattail should be able to be purchased for less than $3, maybe much less.

For myself, I have decided on beads in the meantime. I've heard they are not as quiet, but I don't find them to be noisy. It may be that there is a "satisfaction" in handling the knots that beads won't give you - I wouldn't know.

And of course it's necessary to have different sized beads if you want to go by feel.

I've wondered if there is a market for such things. But they are not terribly difficult for anyone to make. I've made jewelry of all kinds (including cast pieces, setting cabochons, etc.) so simple beading is nothing really.

Not sure if any of this can help you. But just in case.

 

[xenia]

My favorite prayer rope is a string of brown wooden beads with a cross dangler. 100 beads divided into groups of ten with a larger bead separating the tens so I guess that's 110 beads altogether. I have some proper woolen prayer ropes, one given to me by a monastic at the monastery in Essex, England, which I treasure, but I don't use it. I always use my wooden one which is starting to stretch out of shape and will probably break all over the floor one day. But it's my fave. I bought it from an Orthodox store but I don't think it would cost much to make one. Just get some beads from the local craft store.

 

[ArmyMatt]

making prayer ropes are definitely above my paygrade. my Godfather makes them, but how is beyond me.

 

[Ioustinos]

Do you think paracord would work?

I have a few paracord bracelets around the house that I don't wear.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Do you think paracord would work?

I have a few paracord bracelets around the house that I don't wear.

If it's what I'm thinking, it may be ok to practice, but not great. It doesn't "slip" well, does it? And I'm thinking it would make huge knots. If I'm thinking of the right stuff. But it's probably much better for learning than yarn would be. I'm not sure about the lack of slip though, and I'm also thinking it might not snug down well. Probably only good for training the fingers a bit. But if you have it on hand, nothing wrong with trying. I might be thinking of something else or I couldbe wrong about how it would behave with those kinds of knots.

That's my best guess anyway.

 

[MoeSzyslak]

My prayer rope was made by one of the monks when I was living at HTM. He tried to show me how to make one. I was a failure at it.


My prayer rope does contain part of one of St. John Maximovitch's monastic robes woven into it. (Sorry, I suffer from prayer rope pride and need to brag.)

 

[Ioustinos]

If it's what I'm thinking, it may be ok to practice, but not great. It doesn't "slip" well, does it? And I'm thinking it would make huge knots. If I'm thinking of the right stuff. But it's probably much better for learning than yarn would be. I'm not sure about the lack of slip though, and I'm also thinking it might not snug down well. Probably only good for training the fingers a bit. But if you haven't on hand, nothing wrong with trying. I might be thinking of something else or I couldbe wrong about how it would behave with those kinds of knots.

That's my best guess anyway.

After second thought, you are probably right. They would be huge knots. I was thinking the paracord material might slide more easily.

My prayer rope was made by one of the monks when I was living at HTM. He tried to show me how to make one. I was a failure at it.


My prayer rope does contain part of one of St. John Maximovitch's monastic robes woven into it. (Sorry, I suffer from prayer rope pride and need to brag.)

If I had a prayer rope like that I'd be bragging too That's pretty awesome.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Well, just because yarn doesn't work, I would say don't give up if it's something you want to do. Seriously, something so intricate (and I've read about it and studied the knots but NOT done it), but something so intricate would be easier if you learned with a more forgiving material. Then once you understand the sequence of the knots and tying them, you can graduate to woolen fibers.

Paracord must not be what I'm thinking of if you say it will slide easily. If it slides, it might be perfect to practice with. Even if the knots are big. Better too large than to small for most people to practice with, especially men's hands.

 

[~Anastasia~]

My prayer rope was made by one of the monks when I was living at HTM. He tried to show me how to make one. I was a failure at it.


My prayer rope does contain part of one of St. John Maximovitch's monastic robes woven into it. (Sorry, I suffer from prayer rope pride and need to brag.)

LOL, I think your prayer rope sounds pretty awesome too! I wouldn't have thought of something like that. Kind of a relic of sorts woven into a prayer rope? How cool is that!?!

 

[seashale76]

I keep losing prayer ropes. I don't know how but they disappear on me like crazy. Say, for example, I put one in a coat pocket and then the next time I look it'll be gone.

I've never made one myself, but I've thought about it. They have youtube tutorials on it. Maybe if we all try this we'll manage it some day!

How To Tie Prayer Rope - YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZRAHuJv1TQ

 

[~Anastasia~]

I am planning to try it. Maybe I will this week, I don't know. I'm still thinking about how to approach the week before Baptism. I have a lot of housework and yardwork to do though, since I've been sick for so long. But if I get some nice quiet time, I might try. Now I wonder if I have any suitable fibers (that haven't been put in the attic). Somehow I don't think suede rope will work, but hemp string MIGHT. That's all I can recall offhand that I know where they are.

I figured before no one would want a prayer rope made by someone who wasn't even in the Church yet, when monks make and sell them, so I hadn't made an extra effort to learn. Though I would like to make my own someday.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

I keep losing prayer ropes. I don't know how but they disappear on me like crazy. Say, for example, I put one in a coat pocket and then the next time I look it'll be gone.

I've never made one myself, but I've thought about it. They have youtube tutorials on it. Maybe if we all try this we'll manage it some day!

How To Tie Prayer Rope - YouTube

How to tie an Orthodox Prayer Rope - YouTube

I feel bad thinking on how I've only had mine (from Mt. Athos) for the past 7 months and haven't lost it. I'm guessing losing them is a common experience

 

[Erth]

Attached is an example of how You can make the knots bigger.