Page 392 - Lindsey Philpott "The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots"

386 the ultimate book of decorative knots

places in a knot (one side to the other, for example). A knot may have more than one pass.
(verb) To cause the line to be moved through the knot from one place to the next.
Plait A decorative weaving of cords to form a (usu.) flat strap or band having a series of regular
or irregular crossings (see also Chapter 4).
Plaited line A woven (over and under) form of yarns that are formed of alternately twisted fibres to
form a rope, line, or cord.
Pleaching The action of interweaving the vertically growing branches of a small tree or bush to
create an open trunk-like latticework of branches.
Pointing Covering the end or a part of a line to prevent fraying or abrasion, particularly when used
repeatedly in one location where friction will occur.
Polyamide A synthetic polymer made by linking an amino group from one molecule with the
carboxylic group of another one; commonly known as Nylon.
Polyester A synthetic resin in which the polymer units are linked together with ester groups;
commonly known as Dacron®.
Polyethylene A synthetic resin made by polymerising ethylene; also known as polythene and commonly
known as poly.
Polymer A synthesis of small groups of molecules grouped together.
Polypropylene A synthetic resin that is a polymer of propylene, a gaseous hydrocarbon; commonly
known as yellow rope.
Pricker A steel or brass tool having a dulled and tapered point, used to insert under a cord for
tightening.
Rawhide Stiff untanned leather that has been treated by repeated pulling through a narrow slit in a
piece of wood.
Rein The long, narrow strap or cord used on a hackamore or a steel bit to control a horse’s
movements from the saddle.
Ret The action of soaking in water; lye is added to ret natural plant fibres free of pithy matter.
Seizing The act of binding two or more parts of rope, line, or cord together with (usu.) twine or
thinner cord.
Sinnet A decorative weaving of cords to form a flat, round, or rectangular strap or band having a
series of regular or irregular crossings (see also Chapter 4).
Sisal A plant fibre extracted from the large fleshy leaves of the Mexican agave (Agave sisalana)
and twisted into twine, cord, line, and rope.
Skiving The action of evenly thinning a (usu.) strip of leather from its maximum thickness down
to nothing in a wedge shape. Skiving is performed to enable the joining of two pieces
whose ends have been thinned or skived.
Snags Small sections of fibres lifted from the surface of a cord or sections of defective cord.
Splicing The action taken to join one line to itself or to another by separating the strands of a
twisted line (or by expanding and enclosing the parts of a braided line), such that the
strands (or another section of that braided line) may be joined securely by tucking or
squeezing the parts together. Splicing relies on friction for its strength.
Spun (adjective) See fibrillated above.
Standing end That part of a line used in knotting that generally does not require to be moved during the
making of the line; opposite of working end.
Swedish fid A V-shaped length of thin steel, tapering from one end and having an inserted handle at
the other, used to pass a cord or to insert a strand when splicing. Also known as a hollow
fid (see also different description of hollow fid above).