Colonial Knots

First, secure your thread on the back of your work using a few backstitches placed close to where you want your first knot to be. Now bring the needle up at 1 and loop the thread over it. Next, take the thread over and under the needle in a figure of eight. Follow the thread path on the diagram to see exactly how this is done. With practise you will get very quick at doing this. Now push the needle back down at 2, close to where it first emerged. Before you pull it all the way through, tighten the loops around the needle and hold them in place. Finally, pull the needle through to form a neat knot.