Dear All
Whilst using an overlocker in dress making classes I was told to use a Weavers knot to join the threads because it was flat and would pass through the eye of the needles.
I was wondering if such a knot could be used to link coloured string for making multi-coloured Turks Heads mats?
If the consensus is yes, does anyone know how to tie such a knot? as I never got the hang of it then anyway.
Thanks ;D
Hi, Mrs. C!
I’m not sure you’d like the way that would look.
The Weaver’s Knot is just a Sheet Bend in thin cordage, therefore tied a little differently. As a knot, it absolutely does cause some obvious bulk. When I worked at a weaving mill (decades ago), the mechanisms were big enough to pass a wee knot. I just looked at the wife’s Singer, and I doubt that’d work here. That’s with ordinary thread, which would make a cute, but breathtakingly tiny THK.
I don’t know what cordage you’re using to make your THKs, but if you’re using something with some bulk, what about just splicing the end of one color to the end of the other?
The splicing technique, of course, depends entirely on the material, but most cordage can be spliced somehow.
Then the only problem would be adjusting the lie of the knot to position the splice “underneath” one of the crossings.
As an example, I tied one of these lopsided THKs: http://home.hetnet.nl/~splits/knots55/0.htm
([i]which can be seen in semi-English here:
http://www.worldlingo.com/wl/translate?wl_lp=NL-EN&wl_fl=2&wl_rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fhome.hetnet.nl%2F~splits%2Fknots55%2F0.htm%2F&wl_url=http%3A%2F%2Fhome.hetnet.nl%2F~splits%2Fknots55%2F0.htm&wlg_table=-3[/i])
(Whew!)
I had some bright RED hollow-braid Dacron & some super-cheap super-WHITE faux kernmantle from the local hardware store which both happened to be nigh the same size. I looked at it both ways (RedWhiteRed & WhiteRedWhite) and decided the RWR looked best. As the WHITE was somwhat solid, and the RED hollow, I simply slipped the end of the WHITE into the RED, then whipped it (to stop fraying) & stitched it in place with some matching red thread. The stitching was good practice for finishing kernmantle splices in general, so there’s some method to this madness as well.
In other words, I tied the knot according to the directions (Did you click the links above? Look for a slightly blue colored text. The actual diagram is here ( http://home.hetnet.nl/~splits/knots55/7.htm ), but you’ll need Acrobat Reader to view it. Actually, if you’re as rusty with Dutch as I am, the translated site above will translate the child links (but not the PDF :() as you click on them, so either way, you can see the diagram in Dutch. (It’s a Very Interesting knot, IMO!))
Sorry… wandered off… It’s not easy posting URLs in YABBC. (Click the word “Quote” above to see how it’s done.)
Anyway, when I got to the end, to start the first doubling, I spliced in the WHITE, then when I got back there, I just put in the same splice “the other way” & led the RED on out to the finish.
It’s a silly knot, really, and I can’t find any place to put it, but it’s a good way to “dissect” the THK concept… Or just use any THK pattern; I just wanted to share that one.
OTOH, what if you used the trick called “seizing” to fasten the ‘last’ 2 or 3 diameters of ‘the one’ to the ‘first’ 2 or 3 diameters of ‘the next’? Again, everything depends on a small piece of cord, but you can usually find some fiber significantly smaller than what you’re working with & use it for the seizure. The core of Dyneema kernmantle is actual by-god Spectra/Dyneema hard-as-steel happiness, so if you’re ever around a rigging shop, ask if you can rummage in their trash! Just comb out the core & take the individual fibers singly or twisted together. “Button & Carpet Thread”?? I busted that! Don’t try to pop Dyneema by hand!!! That hurts!! The Dacron cover can be “combed out” too, for a different approach.
Why “2 or 3 diameters”? That’s 2 or 3 times the diameter of whatever cordage you’re using, which should be enough to hold the THK together without sticking out like the proverbial “sore thumb”. YMMV. Again, patiently working out the lay of the knot to position the “joints” (connecting points) on the same side of the mat will let you designate a “top” which will look like it just grew that way.
If you really want to get tricky, see if you can make a THK just “doubled once”, then carefully reeve a different color between the pair you just laid up… That’s a “trick”, but it’s something to play with…
As always Jimbo gave a good answer, but slightly confusing because there is so much info.
I would say, for a Turks Head Knot, do not tie the ends. But if you use nylon or polyester string, use a lighter splice. That is, melt the ends together, not as neat but much faster than any sewn solution.
Willeke
Jimbo
I had a look at that translation of the Dutch text into English. I can only draw one conclusion : It sucks!!
This translation really doesn’t make much sense. A lot of words are translated totally the wrong way, merely because the translator is using wrong synonyms. You probably noticed a lot of strange words in the text…well that’s exactly what I mean with the wrong synonyms.
take care
André
I have not checked the translator myself, (I know how poor they work,) but if you need a translation, I am willing to help out.
Willeke
I had a look at that translation of the Dutch text into English. I can only draw one conclusion : It sucks!!!!!!
I think I swallowed a tooth, from laughing so hard!! ;D I was trying to be “nice-nice”, but “semi-english” may give it too much credit.
But yes, oh yes!! Suckage-in-fief for sure!!
But the diagram works great!! I try to look past the language(s) at the cordage itself. That’s the “common denominator” (not “least”), and all that ultimately matters.
Not that the knot is useful in any way, but Mrs. Chew moved my heart with her description earlier of the joys she felt in accomplishments in knotting. I’m still “rookie” enough to remember just those feelings, not too long ago. I only hoped to help somehow.
Thank you for a good “belly laugh” on a Friday!!