Des Pawson’s Knot craft/Искусство узлов

Издание на английском языке
Many books have been published on how to tie practical knots, and a lesser number on decorative knotting, but while the latter may show how to make a fancy knot, they don’t provide much help in putting the knots together to make an object, be it key fob, fender, rope ladder, mat or lanyard. Some - times there may be an illustration of a finished item for inspiration or even a couple of projects, but rarely is there a step-by-step breakdown, complete with the exact size and lengths of materials required and with full tying instructions; the complete recipe for the very thing you want to make. Here, I hope, is the book which does just that.
In this book I share with you a selection of the designs from that Recipe Book. When demonstrating, I am often asked how to make the various things that I have around me, so here are the basic designs, their size and which knots and sennits are used to make them. I give you a list of materials and their lengths and sizes, and I have made the lengths very slightly generous because all materials vary in the way they make up, and each craftsman’s knotting tension differs. You may well wish to adjust the material lengths to suit yourself and your favourite cordage. The stated materials and knots will make what I describe, but it is always possible to make items using bigger or smaller line. It can help to keep a record of any variations, because the more information you have the better your guesses will be in the future.
As this book is a Recipe Book rather than a-how-to-tie-knots book (there is a good list of these at the end of this book), I have simply named the knots and sennits that go to make up each item. This in itself can lead to a degree of misunderstanding, as many knots have more than one name, so in most cases there is a simple aide-memoire for the more specialised knots or techniques. Rather than repeating them every time they crop up in a design, you will be referred to the page with the illustration. These are my designs, the knots put together in the way I prefer, but there is no reason why you should not mix and match to create your own designs. Cordage is a versatile medium, and a joy to use for creating all sorts of things.
The aim of this book is to give you the confidence to start making things with knots; it is the book that will make other knot books work for you.

Contents
Introduction
Some tips of the trade
Simple key ring
Shackle release lanyard in Portuguese sennit
Deluxe key ring
Bellrope worked with 6 ends
Bellrope worked with 8 ends
A simple side fender
Side fender using the crown sennit
Hitching over a plastic fender
Bow fender
Button fender
Rope ladders
A simple lanyard
A fancy lanyard
A Bosun’s chair/swing
Rope handrails
Cat-o-nine tails (ditty bag lanyard)
Tiller/boat hook covering
Binocular strap
Covering a wheel
Belts
Grommets for quoits, blocks & sea chest beckets
A pair of fancy spliced chest beckets
Some Turk’s heads for decoration or napkin rings
Knot board notes
Monkey’s fist/light pull
Monkey’s fist/door stop
A sailor’s whisk
Baggywrinkle
Bowsprit net
Dog leads
A jib shackle
The ocean & prolong mats
Hitched oval mat
Kringle mat
Oblong deck mat
Appendix
Further reading
The International Guild of Knot Tyers
Index