Page 377 - The Ashley Book of Knots

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS

2268. A nearly square mat is tied with a single eord and with both

ends at one corner. Tie the knot shown in the left diagram. Take the

upper end of the cord and cross it over the lower end and tuck

a bight parallel with the other end, over, under to the upper

left corner. Reverse the direction and continue to tuck it over and

under downward in a right diagonal between the two leads that are

parallel, which brings it to the right lower corner. Repeat this opera-

tion with alternate ends until the knot is the required size. A netting

needle may be used to advantage in tying this and other knots of

the sort in which an end and not a bight is tucked. When com-

pleted, if it is to be a mat or doily, lay one of the ends out for several

tucks and inlay the opposite end so that the joint is hidden on the

underside, well away from the corner.

2269. A bitched mat is made with one or any number of hitches

for a base.

u.69 Middle a cord, make a SINGLE HITCH and then lead the left

end in a right upward diagonal across the hitch. Continue the

lead along the line indicated by the arrows until the two ends have

met. Fair the knot and then double and triple it, using both ends.

2270. A knot from two hitches. Middle a line as before and, after

the two hitches are arranged as shown, take the left end, lead it in

a right upward diagonal, over and under, to the center, then under

and over to the side. Continue to tuck as indicated by the arrows,

then double and triple the knot, using the surplus material of both

ends.

2271. A larger knot of the same sort is made with any number of

22.70 hitches. After the first hitch each succeeding hitch is tucked to the

left, over the first bight (in every case) and under the second, and

so alternately to the center. The desired number of hitches being

in place (in the knot pictured there are five), the left end is led in

a right upward diagonal over the first hitch, under the second and so

alternately until the center part of the knot is reached. When the

center has been reached, note whether the last tuck was over or

under. Whichever it was, the next tucK away from the center toward

the right siQe will be the same, and the rest are taken alternately.

The centers of all knots that start with an odd number of hitches

will be like ~ 2269; the centers of all knots that start with an even

2.2. 71 number of hitches will be like ~ 2270. Three diagonals cross the

hitches of each knot and in every case the first (outside) crossing

of each diagonal is over.

These mats may be used for companionway treads, hot pads for

dining tables, and chair-seat covers. There is no limit theoretically

to their size, although practice is required to tie almost any large

knot successfully, and difficulties multiply with each slight increase

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In SIze.

2272. The remainder of these single-strand mats do not "enlarge."

They are tied directly, after which they may be doubled or tripled

in the usual way. A rectangular mat with well-rounded corners

may be tied over a diagram by the method described at some length

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