The phrase “it takes how many knots to tie the straw into place?” is not a fixed, standard saying with a single factual answer; it reads more like a playful or rhetorical line than a technical instruction.

Possible meanings

  • Riddle or metaphor: It could be used as a figurative way of asking “How much effort does it really take to hold everything together?” rather than literally counting knots.
  • Craft or straw art reference: In straw crafts (like tied straw stars or plaits), makers often use several small securing knots, but the exact number depends on the design, not a universal rule.
  • Game or forum in-joke: There are simple “straw games” where you tie a loose knot in a straw wrapper and pull it, but again, the focus is on what happens to the knot, not on a specific number.

If you’re asking literally

If this is about physically tying a straw (or straw bundle) into place:

  • One well‑placed knot is usually enough to secure a single straw or small bundle, provided the knot is snug and the material grips well.
  • In decorative straw work, crafters may add extra knots at different points mainly for stability and shaping, not because a tradition demands a fixed count like “three knots exactly.”

How you might use the line

The question can work nicely as:

  • A whimsical caption about effort versus outcome (for example in a forum post or short story).
  • A metaphor in writing to suggest the hidden work required to keep something “in place,” like a relationship, a routine, or a project.

TL;DR: There is no canonical answer; “how many knots” is flexible and context‑dependent, and can be used literally (usually one good knot) or as a stylistic, metaphorical question.