You sir are exactly correct!
I made the braid first without thinking about how tight it should be. After doing the knot (which took me a little while), I didn't feel like redoing the braid to get them closer. I also liked having them slightly different to see if anyone would reach the conclusion you did. Nice job!
And there we have it. The exact same pattern in the cordage. But one made with a single strand. The other made with two strands, which were folded over, effectively making four.
Thanks to asemery for posting this. A very interesting knot.