simple lanyards in knitted polypropylene

General Discussion
1

Dear All

Last night I was helping a young girl who has manual dexterity difficulties, by teaching her to do simple plaits. Her mother, who works in education, encouraged me that this was something that could help other children. My husband already helps children with reading difficulties at our nearby primary (ages 4-11) school, and I was thinking of approaching the head teacher to see if he would like me to do this too.

But a plait on its own is just decorative, and soon gets discarded as having no purpose. I should know - I carefully try to control the amount of hoarded stuff in our loft from our 3 children. I’m not entirely successful.

What I would like to do is to be able to help them form their plaits into lanyards they can use for their tamagotchis, mobiles, mp3s, etc. I made one for a friend of our children for her tamagotchi, (apparently her father now wants a similar item but big enough for the dog to play with!!!), however, I couldn’t get the plait to weave back into itself satisfactorily.

The cord I have available is knitted polypropylene (in 3 widths, one of which is 2 or 3mm, the other two are somewhat bigger, I think one is 5mm). It unravels like mad unless I cauterize it, and it doesn’t seem to like to pull tight in the larger width. Maybe I’m just not being firm enough with it.

I have finally managed to get the hang of crowns, and walls, but I’ve still got a dead spot on the terminal knots and Matthew Walker type knots you can produce with them. I have just found some nice clear lanyard instructions at http://www.scouting.org.za/capewest/seascouts/seamanship/SeamanshipF-Boatswain.pdf which I’m going to print and look at on Monday (it’s late now, and we don’t put the computer on on Sundays), but I was wondering if anyone could suggest what sort of knot would be suitable for joining the plait into a loop. I wondered about forming a sennit right round the outside of the plait, but couldn’t figure out how to stop it from sliding up and strangling the wearer without putting a very large (overhand would be easiest) knot in the way. Or - a thought strikes me - if I ever master the Matthew Walker, would putting one of those a suitable distance down the lanyard be enough to stop a sennit riding up?

Regards
Glenys Chew

2

Hello Mrs Glenys,

Maybe this will help you:

http://www.knoopenzo.nl/fluitkoord/fluitkoord.htm

This site is in Dutch, but there is a picture tutorial (right, upper corner) which I found very usefull.

Good knotting

Marcin

3

Glenys,
Any strong knot that makes a loop can be used, but I like the two strand Matthew walker knot (http://www.phlaunt.com/atwoodknives/16390018.php )
or the two strand Diamond knot also known as the knife lanyard knot or the Chinese Button knot. (Redirecting...)

Or you can splice the ends back into the braid.
See also the PM I send you.

Willeke

4

Hello Marcin and Willeke,

Thank you. Those have helped to clarify my thoughts quite a bit, and I think I’ve finally managed to achieve a sort of Manrope Knot as a terminal knot, but it doesn’t look very elegant.

Probably a part of my problem with lanyards might be that I am starting at one end, working to the other, and then trying to join the two together. In Theo Slijkerman’s website (www.knoopenzo.nl) he does that with a Solomon Bar/Portuguese Sennit, which is very effective. I hadn’t thought of overlaying such differing appearances. What I might try next time is starting the plait in the ‘middle’ of the ‘neck’, bringing it down, and then reducing the bulk to a single drop loop with a covering sennit. The polypropylene doesn’t seem to like pulling tight round itself very much (although it makes a fantastic MP3 holder if you do about 8-10 cords in a crown or a wall sennit just blank), or else I’m not quite getting it right trying to cover over - which is much more likely.

Another major part of my problem is that I am at heart an inveterate hoarder. I can’t abide wasted cord, and so I keep trying to do experimental projects with the bare minimum of cord needed. I must learn to use more, and get creative with what’s left over instead :smiley:

Thank you again, and I’ve bookmarked those sites for further exploration.

Regards
Glenys