Slip free the fingers of the left hand, excepting those holding the handkerchief, and you will find a loosely made knot. A smart flick of the right hand will now complete the trick, and if you have done all this very rapidly none of the movements will have been noticed by the audience.
The Disappearing Knot
The foregoing remarks have dealt entirely with making knots in the handkerchief. By following the instructions now given you will be able to make a knot disappear entirely.
Take two differently colored handkerchiefs—red and white, for instance, and cross them, as in [Fig. 8]. Now make a simple knot similar to that shown in [Fig. 9]. By laying D over C and making another simple knot, as in [Fig. 10], the red end will appear on the left, whilst the white end will be on the right. This is called a Grannie’s knot.
Fig. 8.—Colored silks for disappearing knot.
Fig. 9.—Simple knot for disappearance.
Fig. 10.—Grannie’s knot.