Page 388 - Lindsey Philpott "The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots"

382 the ultimate book of decorative knots

minutes in a bowl of hotter-than-your-hand-can- with what sailors call ‘service’ to get them to work
stand water. Allow them to dry out for fifteen as one hanger. The length of line required will
minutes so that you can handle them and then tease tangle easily, so encourage proper string behaviour
out the yarns to the base fibres. Remember that the by tying the required length in a knittle, so that you
fibres are twisted to the right, the yarns to the left, can pass it around the wire frame more readily.
and the strands to the right. Do make sure you are Many hangers are standard, but it is as well to allow
working in a place that you can clean up, because for some overage, so I allow for at least 12 cm per
there will be lots of fibres dropping out and being cm of length of the wire. Adding a new piece of
combed out now! Allow the fibres to dry and comb cord to match what you have (if you should run
out and fluff, then trim them off straight at the out) is simply done by over-wrapping the start end
bottom for a neat appearance. of the new piece with the last few turns of the old
or ending cord. Then wrap the new piece over the
Recycled Hangers tail end of the old piece, locking the two together
Those ubiquitous wire hangers from my local dry- with an elbow each side. This photograph shows
cleaning shop seem to accumulate at a faster rate the trouser-hanging bar and the hanging hook of
than I can put them in the recycle bin! As soon as I the hanger over-wrapped with two-tone French
do, however, I need one for some clothes that I had Hitching. I used 2 m of each colour.
forgotten to pick up – then I have to decide whether
to double up on another hanger or to purchase Tree Decoration
another plastic item from the local store. Here is These tree decorations were something that my
an idea for recycling two or more wire hangers, so wife and I used one winter holiday when we wanted
that they remain useful for a while longer and so something a little different. Contrary to some
that they do not over-accumulate in the closets and expectations, our house is not littered with knotting,
wardrobes. but we did enjoy making these trinkets. I hope you
and your family have fun with them also.
Line: Cotton or polyester cord or hemp for
those who prefer the texture Line: Number 30 cotton cord or braided
Size: Approximately 50 g of garden twine polyester size 2 mm
or three times the length of the Size: Approximately 1.2 m per piece and a
covering needed for the hanger or length more for hanging as needed
piece of the hanger Time: 15–30 minutes each
Time: Allow for about a half hour of work
Method: Tie the outer Turk’s Head, in this case a
Method: You could use any of the knot-covering seven-bight, three-lead Turk’s Head, doubled once,
techniques in Chapter 6, just as I have done here, and finished with a True Love Knot. Children will
or you could simply wrap the hangers continuously especially enjoy making the True Love Knot! You
could also make this with a Double Connection
Knot, a Two-Strand Matthew Walker Knot, or a
Bo’sun’s Lanyard Knot. The True Love Knot is
Two wrapped hangers, not shown specifically but is a pair of interlinked
tied over in French Overhand Knots, whose loops are intertwined,
Hitching with two leaving the crossing parts to the outside. We chose
separate pieces of
coloured line. to use some photographs, here one my wife took of
a starfish, together with some cardboard gift tags.
We then glued them together with hot glue to each
side of the knot.