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INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING MISSION BEADED CORD ROSARIES

MATERIALS: No. 9 nylon cord, available in either ¼ lb. or 1 lb. tubes, white only. Plastic crucifixes or base metal crucifixes, plastic beads (60 needed for each Rosary), and tool for making knot. These supplies may be purchased from the Rosary Makers:

You will also need a pair of very sharp scissors and, we recommend, a bottle of clear nail polish or a jar of clear shellac with which to dip or brush the ends of the cord to make them stiff to easily go through the beads. This also eliminates any raveled ends.

PROCEDURE: Use 60 inches of cord. Mark one end of cord at 8 inches for starting position. Dip or brush ends of cord with nail polish or clear shellac, if desired. Bonded cord gives least chance of raveling, and you may decide there is no need to coat ends.

Make first knot at 8 inch starting position. Read instructions which follow and then refer to STEP 1 below. It is important to keep this 8 inches free on end. Place tool in left hand (reverse all instructions for left handed person) and hold in a horizontal position as shown. Lay cord over grooved end of tool with grooved side facing towards you. Left thumb holds cord against the tool as right hand wraps cord around the back of tool and brings it in front and crosses over the cord held by the left thumb to form an X. Remember this X is at the 8 inch starting position. Keep X in center of tool. With right hand, wrap two more loops around tool, one next to the other, working from right to left toward the handle of tool. To secure knot, hold the loops with the left index finger; turn the tool from the horizontal position to a vertical position and with the right hand bring the long end of the cord through the groove in the tool under the wrapped cord inserting at end of loops near handle. Pull long end of cord all the way through, but do not pull too tightly at this time. Remove knot from tool by taking hold of knot with index finger and thumb of right hand and pulling knot off the tool. Be sure each loop is kept one next to the other for a neat knot. Pull both ends of cord to tighten knot.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING KNOT REFERRED TO IN THESE INSTRUCTIONS

Put ten beads on cord for first decade. Always add beads on long end of cord. As you begin next knot, hang beads on cord down and in front of tool. Make knot same as before, but allow a bit of cord space so that when knot is tightened it maybe positioned about the distance of one bead away from the last bead to allow movement between beads as they are prayed. Before knot is tightened, it can be rolled into position.

• Rosaries made without this extra space, so the beads can move slightly, do not have the necessary flexibility to allow the Rosary to be folded and carried in pocket or purse. A good handmade cord Rosary is never stiff. Put on one bead for the "Our Father". Make knot, but be certain to roll knot down tightly against bead — leave no space between the knot and the bead. This bead is between two knots which are tightly against it.

Repeat for the next four decades.

After the five decades have been made, bring the two end knots together (the one at the beginning of the 1st decade and the one at the end of the fifth decade). You will then be holding a double cord. Refer to STEP 2 on back. Check to see if decades are even -- knots can be moved slightly to make any adjustments if necessary. Plastic centers are not used; instead we will make a large knot using this double cord to join these cord ends.