Decorative Fusion Knots Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Foreword

  Acknowledgements

  Introduction

  Rope Orientation

  Section 1 - Flipping the Double Coin

  Double Coin Knot

  Cloud Knot

  Djinn Bottle Knot

  Prosperity Knot

  Wide Lanyard Knot

  Mayan Temple Knot

  River Knot

  Ring of Coins

  Section 2 - Opening the Box

  Box Knot

  Jolly Roger Knot

  Olias Knot

  Harbin Knot

  Snake Weave

  Dagger Knot

  Celtic Bar

  Section 3 - Weaving and Tucking Bights

  Half Good Luck Knot

  Spiral Knot

  Triskelion Knot

  Tea Cup Knot

  Panel Knot

  Longhorn Knot

  Section 4 - Strange Twists and Turns

  Pendant Knot

  Challenge Knot

  Basket Weave Knot

  Brigid’s Knot

  Handbasket Knot

  Section 5 - Deconstructing the Trinity

  Trinity Knot

  Hammer Knot

  Triple Goddess Knot

  Cupcake Knot

  Pentaradial Knot

  Celtic Tree of Life Knot

  Pagoda Knot

  Section 6 - Popular Paracord Ties

  Solomon Bar

  Wide Solomon Bar

  Single Genoese Bar

  Trilobite Knot

  Section 7 - Petals of the Flower

  Flower Knot

  Double Looped Knot

  Cross Knot

  Winged Cross Knot

  Section 8 - Rolling Out the Barrels

  Barrel Knot

  Bloody Knuckle Knot

  O-Ring

  Door Knocker Knot

  Padlock Knot

  Triple Barrel Knot

  Section 9 - Other Asian Inspirations

  Button Knot

  Maedate Knot

  Pipa Knot

  Plafond Knot

  Section 10 - Knots for Lovers

  True Lover’s Knot

  Kinky Lover’s Knot

  Clasped Hands Knot

  Diamond Ring Knot

  Section 11 - Short and Long Sinnets

  Eternity Knot

  Caterpillar Sinnet

  Zipper Sinnet

  Spinal Sinnet

  Bugle Cord

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  Fusion Knots—Innovative knots created through the merging of different knot elements or knotting techniques.

  Foreword

  JD first came to my attention when he started to post on the web forum of the International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT ), giving links to his videos on YouTube. These videos are impressive demonstrations of his knotting ability and provide astonishingly clear instructions on how to tie a variety of knots. But when it comes to knot books, there are many. And the vast majority of them show the same knots, albeit with different pictures and variations on how they can be tied.

  So why choose this book?

  First, it relies on step-by-step, clear, and easy to follow photographs rather than illustrated diagrams. Second, most of these knots have never appeared in books before. And further, this book not only teaches, it inspires!

  Fusion knots show what can be achieved with a little patience and imagination, and provide endless opportunities for decorative knotting enjoyment. This is especially exciting for those who may have thought knots were something only used by specialists, such as sailors or climbers; or taught to Scouts and Guides, but then forgotten in the modern world of snaps and fasteners.

  So while away a few minutes (and don’t be surprised when hours have passed!).Tie some or all of these creations. All you need is a piece of cord, a little time, and a mind set to wonder.

  Barry Mault

  Honorary Secretary

  International Guild of Knot Tyers

  www.igkt.net

  Acknowledgments

  For their support and/or inspiration in the production of this book, I would like to thank Andrew McBeth, Cleo Dubois, Clifford W. Ashley, Bright Winn, Eve Minax, Sylvain Niles, my parents (Jim and Barbara) and all those who subscribe to my Tying It All Together YouTube channel. Without you, especially those who continue to support my online videos, this book would not have come to be.

  And…a very special thanks to my wife and my muse, Kristen Kakos. Your presence in my life brings me joy, comfort, and the freedom to create. For these gifts I am forever grateful.

  Introduction

  For tens of thousands of years, knots played a critical role in human society. They have helped us catch food, sail the seas, build empires, worship, remember and heal. Quietly supporting us through all our historic conquests and adventures, knots helped our ancestors tie their world together.

  The Incas of South America, for instance, may have used knots tied along strings as an early form of writing—communicating narratives of the Incan Empire through knots rather than ink and paper. They also used knots as accounting tools, generating and keeping records similar to those kept by modern day bookkeepers and census takers.

  More popularly, the Celts used stylized representations of knots to express a variety of natural and spiritual concepts. Seen on ancient structures and in modern motifs, these decorative knots conveyed the relationships between man and woman, hunter and prey, earth, spirit and the universe. Still other Celtic knots are believed to have represented protection from evil spirits, and were placed on battle shields or near people who were sick.

  Asian cultures, primarily Chinese, produced decorative knots that took on the esthetic qualities of religious symbols, nature and money. The Double Coin Knot, for instance, is so named because it looks like two Chinese coins overlapping. The majority of these decorative knots were meant to represent good luck, virtue, or prosperity. But others were created for more utilitarian purposes such as buttons for jackets and shirts.

  Much like the development of any art form, time and practice are the keys to new ideas and innovative developments. Mariners throughout history, with lots of time of their hands, began coxcombing, covering rails and wheels with decorative wraps and ties. These wraps and ties served the dual purpose of improving the grip on an otherwise slippery object, while at the same time increasing the beauty of the ship.

  As still more time passed, knots grew to become a semi-finite field of study. Knot books started presenting what had come before; with the most attention being paid to practical knots. Then, in 1944, Clifford W. Ashley published The Ashley Book of Knots (ABOK), an encyclopedic reference manual describing how to tie thousands of decorative and functional knots from all around the world. To this day, Ashley’s tome remains the quintessential book of knots.

  Members of the International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT; officially founded in 1982) updated ABOK in 1979, adding what was then believed to be a new knot called the Hunter’s Bend. Many of the guild members have gone on to write multiple books on the subject of knots. Most of these books, with the exception of a select few, focus on what has come before as opposed to new or recently created knots. When it comes to decorative knots, this last statement is especially true.

  So where do we go from here?

  What does the future hold for knots?

  The answer to both these questions, I believe, is fusion knots: innovative knots created through the merging of different knot elements or knotting techniques.

  Like origami figurines created through the folding of paper, rope in the hands of a fusion knot tyer becomes a vehicle for
exploring ever more complex and imaginative knot designs. Fusion knot tyers gather inspiration from history, nature, mythology, or any other source that moves them to tie. They see knots as assemblages of discrete parts, rather than indivisible units of information.

  For instance, the Celtic Tree of Life Knot (a fusion knot) is the result of combining three different knot elements—one derived from the Trinity Knot, one from the Ring of Coins, and one from the Handbasket Knot. Together, these three elements commingle to create something different, something more elaborate and impactful.

  This book is an introduction to the world of decorative fusion knots, but more so it is a bridge between what is and what can be. In turn, alongside fusion knots, I present instructions for historical knots, knots that were discovered or created before 1979 (the year the IGKT updated ABOK). Historical knots are the foundations for and elements of fusion knots, so knowing how to tie them is important.

  In a few cases the historical knot instructions shown will not be presented as elements to subsequent fusion knots. The purpose for this is twofold:

  A) I want to provide instructions for an unusual or rarely described historical knot, and

  B) I want to provide techniques you can use to create fusion knots of your own.

  The chapters of this book are organized according to the primary knot element or knotting technique utilized in the knot’s construction. For example, if a knot starts off as a Double Coin Knot, but finishes with a technique associated with the Trinity Knot (as seen in the Djinn Bottle Knot), that knot will be placed in the Double Coin Knot chapter.

  All this said, please remember, fusion knotting is a creative endeavor. Although the pages before you show a multitude of step-by-step instructions on how to tie knots, you do not have to be a passive consumer of this information. Modify what is shown, play with the techniques, integrate different knot elements, and create something new. Put another way…

  Explore, Discover, Innovate!

  Doing so will not only improve your understanding of fusion knots; it will improve your understanding of all knots and pave the way to ever more elaborate and creative knots tomorrow.

  Thank you and keep tying.

  —JD of Tying It All Together

  Rope Orientation

  The following definitions and visual clarifications are meant to provide an understanding of the terms and knotting procedures associated with this book.

  Note: All the knots in this book were tied with a six foot length of ¼ inch solid braid nylon or equivalent lengths of paracord.

  Definitions

  Ascending End: The end of a line (usually the running end) going up.

  Bight: A line doubled over into a U-shape.

  Circle: A line making one complete revolution around another line.

  Clockwise Loop: A loop that has a running end (or line on top) that rotates clockwise.

  Counterclockwise Loop: A loop that has a running end (or line on top) that rotates counterclockwise.

  Rope Parts

  Knot Parts

  Rope Loops

  Knot Movements

  Coil: A line that makes several (more than one) revolutions around another line.

  Crook: The curved part of a bight, circle or loop.

  Flip: Turning a knot or semi-completed knot upside down.

  Firm: The point at which the adjusting of a knot results in a satisfactory appearance.

  Fusion Knot: An innovative knot created through the merging of different knot elements or knotting techniques.

  Historical Knot: Knots that were discovered or created before 1979 (the year the IGKT updated ABOK).

  Hook: A line that makes a sharp curve or a shape resembling a hook.

  Knot Component: A knot element or knotting technique used to make a fusion knot.

  Line: The material used to tie a knot (e.g., rope, paracord, wire, etc.)

  Loop: A circle of line that crosses itself.

  P: A line that is looped to look like the letter P or the mirror image of the letter P.

  Pentaradial: Lines or knots splayed out in a configuration characteristic of echinoderms (i.e., sea stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers). Similar in appearance to a pentagon.

  Rotate: To turn a loop 180 degrees around an axis.

  Running End: The end of a line that’s being used to make the knot.

  Singe: Scorching the end of a cut line to hold it in place and keep it from fraying.

  Standing End: The end of a line that is not involved in making the knot.

  Tuck: Inserting a line or bight through a loop or under another line.

  Weave: Passing a line over and under another line.

  Y-Configuration: An arrangement of bights and running ends in the shape of the letter Y.

  Section 1

  Flipping the Double Coin

  Double Coin Knot

  A decorative variant of the Carrick Bend, the Double Coin Knot’s structure and elegant simplicity make it the perfect base for multiple fusion knots. This was the knot that introduced me to the world of decorative knots.

  Knot Components: Historical Knot

  1. Make a clockwise P with the ascending rope on top the loop created.

  2. Drop the right running end down over the loop of the P.

  3. Bight the running end and weave it under the “leg” of the P, over…

  4. …the rope above it, under the top of the P, and then over itself.

  5. Tuck the bight under the bottom of the P.

  6. Pull the running end out until the knot is firm.

  Cloud Knot

  The Cloud Knot branches off the Double Coin Knot in an innovative and seldom realized way. The knot is created via a weaving technique that can be applied to a variety of knots, making them appear more elaborate.

  Knot Components: Double Coin Knot + Opposing Weaves

  1. Begin by tying a Double Coin Knot.

  2. Untuck the right running end of the knot.

  3. Then, untuck the left running end of the knot.

  4. Weave the left running end under, over, and under the right ropes.

  5. Weave the right running end under, over, under, and over the left ropes.

  6. Carefully adjust the knot until firm.

  Djinn Bottle Knot

  The Arabian Nights Entertainments tells of a djinn that is imprisoned in a bottle for 1,800 years. When the djinn is released, it grants wishes. The Djinn Bottle Knot calls to this story, representing the djinn’s prison vessel in rope.

  Knot Components: Double Coin Knot + Trinity Knot

  1. Begin by tying a Double Coin Knot.

  2. Stretch the knot’s top loop out about 1½ inches.

  3. Cross the right running end over the left and…

  4. … tuck it under and out the left loop.

  5. Tuck the other running end over and through the right loop.

  6. Rotate the top loop (left rope over right).

  7. Cross the right running end over the top loop.

  8. Weave the left running end under the outer edge of the top loop,…

  9. …and then over, and under the ropes above it at a diagonal.

  10. Carefully adjust the knot until firm.

  Prosperity Knot

  Denoting abundance and long life, the Prosperity Knot is said to bring wealth, in all its manifestations, to those who tie or incorporate it into their attire. Be this fact or fiction, the knot’s beauty is unquestionable.

  Knot Components: Historical Knot

  1. Begin by tying a Double Coin Knot.

  2. Then stretch the left and right loops out about two inches.

  3. Drop the loops so that they’re below the left and right running ends.

  4. Rotate both loops (left rope over right).

  5. Tuck the loop on the left through the back of the loop on the right.

  6. Drop the right running end down across the right loop.