Page 17 - Lindsey Philpott "The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots"

MATErIALs, METHods, MEAsUrEMEnTs, And TooLs 11

make a small gap through which the cord can first be
passed. The cords can then be tightened individually
using a pricker or some other flat-bladed tool (see
the section on tools). As noted above, cord can
snag, which may ruin the appearance of a piece. If
you get snags in your cordage, try gently twisting
or rolling the offending length by hand to put the
snag underneath the finished surface after trimming
away the snagged fibres. If using laid cord, be sure
to twist in the direction of the lay of the line. Lay is
the term used to describe the direction in which the
cord was twisted when originally made.

Wire
Stainless steel, copper, aluminium, gold and silver
are all suitable metals for use as wire. Normally it
is necessary for the wire to be ductile (able to be
deformed without losing toughness). After a knot
is formed from ductile wire it can be heat-treated
you will be rewarded with a pristine piece that will and quenched, which hardens it, preventing it from
look good for many years. You will find more about losing its shape. Sometimes a hard metal, such as
fabric care later in this chapter. stainless steel, can be annealed, or softened, so that
Cord is hardy and can generally stand some you can flex it into a shape that holds without too
pulling, much more so than leather or silk. much loss of function.
However, keep sharp objects away to avoid snags
to the finished surfaces, and be sure that the cord’s
diameter does not shrink because you were pulling Tip When passing one piece of wire past
too hard on one section or strand. When tightening another in the knot you’re building, push rather
a knot, it is essential that you keep the tension even than pull, so that you can feel your way through.
throughout the piece (unless you are intentionally
creating a different effect). This comes with practice
and may take several tries before you are satisfied. How does it work?
A word to the wise – if it looks right on the first Wire is made either by drawing or by extrusion.
try, you should try to remember the tension you ‘Drawing’ describes the process of taking a rod of
applied, because it may not look the same in the
second piece you make. If you are making multiple
pieces for, say, a picture frame, you will want
to lay the pieces side-by-side, to check that the
tension is even all the way through each piece and
that the cord size (thickness) and colour matches
throughout.

What doesn’t work
Cords, particularly laid ones, are apt to twist
when pulled too fast, or too often, through a
narrow gap. Try using a hollow Swedish fid to