Page 5 - Des Pawson "Des Pawson's Knot Craft" 2 edit.

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Introduction

ANY BOOKS have been published on how to tie practical
M 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 inspira-
tion 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.
Not having enough cordage is a constant risk. You try
remembering how much line went into an item you have made
in the past, but it is soon forgotten and you are back to guessing,
hoping that you have guessed correctly or with a bit to spare.
Then comes the day when you have a length of good old rope
and you want to make a mat with it; the length is tight – if only
you knew the exact amount needed. Or you have 6 metres of
super fine tarred 3mm twine left. Will this be enough for that
bell rope you wanted to make as a special gift, or having started
will it be too short and the 6 metres wasted? The wasting of
rope, new or old, is something that any owner, skipper, mate,
bosun or craftsman abhors. Cordage is a precious material to be
valued, treasured and conserved.
After many years of guesswork and the occasional note in the
margins of my knotting books, I belatedly started to keep a
‘Recipe Book’ in 1977. This told me the finished size of the item
I had made, what material I had used, and how much was
needed to make it. I added the special little tricks and hints that
helped the item to fall right and to be finished neatly. I sketched
the special knot that was needed or noted the book that had this
information. I have to confess that not everything got recorded
but over the years I have built up a great body of information.
In this book I share with you a selection of the designs from
that Recipe Book. When demonstrating, I am often asked how

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