Hail and Howdy, fellow kinkers of cordage!
I, too, was inspired by Willeke’s test of the written word. And I have one more knot idea I’d like to share, if it’s worth having.
Willeke took the approach of using a lot of simple words to describe a nice knot. That’s a lot like Assembly language programming, and Willeke is to be highly commended for rising to such a daunting challenge! More humble, I’d like to try a more “object oriented” (not to be confused with “subject oriented”! 8)) approach by assuming a basic level of knot knowledge (Bowline and Knob) on the part of the reader.
To that end, here goes:
A lot of us have pets. Some need to be restrained for various reasons, and sometimes that need can only be met by a simple piece of cordage. What then? Well, there are a lot of knottyers “out there”, each with a lot of solutions. Here’s my “mindless” (meaning it “just came out of my hands”) favorite:
Please note, this was developed for ferrets, (Mustela Putorius), but it should work for any four-legged pet & maybe children as well. As such, please use cordage sized for comfort, as the SWL won’t be an issue here.
To start, tie your favorite Knob Knot in the “pet” end. It just needs to be secure, but the Oysterman’s Stopper (aka Ashley’s Stopper) works well and looks good. You pick. Next, tie a Bowline Knot (BWL) in the “pet” end. Leave the loop long enough to hang very loosely around your pet’s neck. Here’s the secret of the “trick” of this knot: Leave the Tail of the BWL Very Long – enough to reach around your pet’s chest. More on that Very Long Tail (VLT) to follow…
Now get your pet to sit still for its fitting. This could be the “hardest part”. BE NICE! I’ll wait…
Settled? Good! Put the BWL loop over the head, so it loosely drapes around the neck, with the BWL itself between the shoulders; and the VLT (with Knob Knot) hanging down on whichever side it naturally falls. (It helps to drape the Standing Part (SPart) over your shoulder, to keep it out of the way.) The BWL loop is ONLY to hang the knot [b]on[/b] your pet, NOT to hang your pet!! Keep it LOOSE!! If it makes your pet stumble, it might be a little too loose. If your pet notices it, it’s probably too tight.
The first time you put this on your pet, you’ll have a lot of adjustment to do. Did I mention to keep the BWL loop loose around the neck? Hold the knot against the pet’s back, between the shoulder blades. The secret trick is to lead the VLT end around behind the forelegs & across the chest just [b]to[/b] the knot. This one needs to be somewhat snug. It’s hard to make it “too tight”, which is another unintended safety feature. Just be sure your pet can breathe freely and the VLT lies tighter than the BWL loop. You may have to loosen the BWL some to feed the cordage around & through to get everything lined up just right, but take your time. You’re ‘adjusted’ when the BWL loop lies loosely around the neck & the set & tightened BWL is positioned between the pet’s shoulders with the VLT long enough to just reach the BWL when led around the chest behind the forelegs.
Attaching the “thing” is the last “trick” and then I’ll let y’all go for a walk. Notice the BWL. Notice where the SPart comes into the knot. Notice how it’s nipped there, then it turns hard about into another nip. Pull that turn, right under the first nip, so the SPart reeves into the knot a little – just enough to make a little “hole” for your Knob Knot to slip through. I tie a “Zippit” Zipper Pull (in wee marline) there to help pull the turn out. Try not to disturb the rest of the knot, as you’ve just taken all that trouble adjusting it. Making sure your pet is always safe and comfy, making sure the VLT leads behind the forelegs & over the ribs & back to the knot, take the Knob Knot & push it through the little hole you’ve just made. Now pull the SPart to tighten it, collapsing the “hole” and trapping the Knob Knot.
If you haul up on the SPart, you’ll lift your pet. The SPart pulls on the Knob, which takes the load through the VLT under the forelegs. The BWL loop around the neck is just to keep the knot from falling off & to hold it in place on your pet while you attach the VLT.
This is for emergencies, but it works pretty well, IMO. If you want, you could stop the BWL loop to where it comes to the VLT under the chest. This MIGHT let your pet pull a little weight with it, but never much, and not too likely and absolutely never without first preventing the BWL loop from touching the windpipe. Maybe a “ratline” across the chest…? The stopping might help you leave it tied, if you like using this trick.
Disappointed? I hope not! This little trick serves me very well. If you find yourself with an extra ferret, you can tie this up in a bootlace then Bend the SPart to an existing harness for a double rig. Or, you may fit this to a child in public, if you’re into that sort of thing. Or you may have to get your dog up a cliff, or from one boat to another.
This works for me. I hope someone else finds it useful.
Jimbo
