Page 368 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

parts at the edges of the knot in order to continue course by the previous lead, keeping to the opposite
following opposite to the previous lead. You’ll also over-and-under sequence.
see that you’ll automatically duplicate the weave of
the original lead. The Three-Legged Turk’s Head
When you get back where you started from, Here’s an odd one to round out your fancy-work
you’ll see ahead of you a series of “bar” sections vocabulary: a Turk’s Head to put at the junction of
that travel either over or under two parts (Figure wheel and spoke (Figure 10-24). It’s a 4L 5 5B knot
10-23C). By continuing to travel as you have, you made to be three-legged, and it’s worth the bother
split these bars, restoring a symmetrical weave. If of learning just on the chance that some marling-
the bars don’t march along in regular sequence, spike artists will come aboard some day, stare at
you’ve distorted the knot while passing the end; fair it in amazement and say, “How did you do that?”
things up to make the bars appear. If this doesn’t That question can gladden the heart, can make you
work, retie the knot and be more finicky about pre- feel as though the eyestrain and tedium were worth
serving the pattern. the effort.
When you’ve threaded through all the bars Come to think of it, there’s one question that’s
and brought the end in alongside the standing part, even better: Someone looks at a Turk’s Head, but-
you’ll have a 6L 5 5B knot, ready to be doubled and ton, lanyard, or whatever you slaved to finish well,
tripled to finish (Figure 10-23E). Or you can split and asks, “But what did you do with the ends?” To
the lead again and build the knot up even further. which the only reasonable reply is, “I cut them off
Depending on the dimensions of the Turk’s and threw them away.” Never give boring details,
Head, the end can travel on either side of the pre- however informative, when a smart-ass answer will
vious lead, so don’t be thrown off by the variation do just as well.
between one knot and another. Just chart your

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