I found out what I was doing wrong!!!!
I had the wrong yarn.
I finished the "Toad Suck Tie" better known now as the "T0ad Suck Belt." It has a uniform dimension of 3" across from square end to pointy end. Hm... This just isn't right. Pat did try it on and tied it. He said the cotton yarn wasn't working. It wasn't slippery enough for the knot to slide into position against his neck.
So we went looking for slippery yarn at Yarn Heaven, in Arlington, Texas. I thought silk, but the women at the store found us a beautiful, stretchy shiny SOCK yarn called Opal. Pat chose Barney purple. He knows it will compete wonderfully with Spongebob Squarepants.
I always thought sock yarn was the same as fingering yarn. No way. This yarn is tiny, tiny. And lo, and behold. When I went back to the Toad Rock Tie pattern, what does she ask for? Opal Sock Yarn.
14 stitches in fingering yarn on size 1 needles came out about 3" wide.
13 stitches in Opal sock yarn on size 1 needles is about 1" wide. Hm... there's a clue here.
I'm back to the Toad Rock Tie pattern. Bet it works now.