Page 140 - Lindsey Philpott "The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots"

134 THE ULTIMATE BOOK OF DECORATIVE KNOTS

4 Repeat as necessary, continuing the reversal

each time.

The finished work, shown with each half hitch
placed over and to the right of its neighbour, so as
to give this ‘ropelike’ effect, twisting around the
line to the right and following the lay of the line.

a window-blind pull-ring, or over each corner post
of your four-poster bed!

CoaChwhipping
Coachwhipping is formed over any generally round
or cylindrical surface using an even number of cords,
each cord or set of cords being laid in opposing
directions in an over-under weave. The term may
derive from the term ‘Whip Stich [sic]’ used by
Edward ‘Ned’ Ward in The Wooden World in 1707,
according to Ashley. The Oxford English Dictionary
(OED) refers instead to the noun form ‘coach
Here are whip’, which they describe as deriving from a later
some samples of 1787 publication by Archer (Naval Chronicles, XI)
keckling over a dock- describing the results of a storm, saying, ‘The Sails
line, spotted recently on the Star began to fly… into coach whips’, meaning long, thin
of India in San Diego, California. Here they used strips, which are essentially what is used to make
the familiar French Spiral, also known as French coachwhipping. It was formerly used (and may still
Hitching, covering, formed by making a Half Hitch be used today) to make what the Oxford Companion
for each successive turn. See later in this chapter for to Ships and the Sea calls ’a patterned sinnet to make
instructions on how to make this easy and speedy a ship look smart and tiddley’, ‘tiddley’ being the
covering. sailor’s word for shipshape or neat.
Of course, you don’t need to apply this covering Begin by seizing the cords, in this case only
over a hawser, a dock-line or other stout line – you four pairs each side so that you can see the pattern
might find it looks good over a shower-curtain ring, develop, to the piece you wish to cover. When you