KNOTS FORMED ON ROPES BY THEIR OWN STRANDS.
Although our next series of knots are generally known as "fancy knots" they are by no means merely ornamental, many of them playing important parts in the standing rigging of a ship.
(1). To Form a Wall Knot.—First unlay the rope so that the strands appear as in Fig. 60.
Holding the rope with the left hand, with the right lead strand a in the direction indicated by the dotted line, viz., under strand b and up between strands b and c (Fig. 61).
Then with strand b form a similar loop, enclosing strands a and c, and bringing the end of strand b up between a and d (Fig. 62).
Now with strand c form a similar loop, enclosing strands b and a by leading the end of strand c up through the loop e in strand a (Fig. 63).
Finally, work all parts well taut, whip the ends of the strands together and cut off short (Fig. 64).
(2). A Double Wall Knot is formed by allowing each strand to again follow its lead as given in a single wall knot, opening out the first loops again with a pricker sufficiently for the purpose. The three strands are as before brought up in the centre and cut off short after whipping them together. This knot is also known as a stopper knot.
(3). A Crown Knot is formed by interlacing the strands in a similar manner to a wall knot, but the strands are successively led over each other instead of under. Its construction will be easily followed in Fig. 65.
Double crowning is done by following round each strand again alongside its first lead.
Our next two knots are but combinations of the wall and crown.
(4). A Manrope Knot is made by first forming a wall and then crowning it (Fig. 66.)
Then follow round the wall again, and lastly, follow round the crown, when the finished knot will appear as in Fig. 67.
A knot formed by making a crown first and then a wall, and afterwards following round the crown and wall again is another form of the Stopper Knot. It is very similar in appearance when finished to a Manrope Knot.
(5). A Single Matthew Walker.—To make this knot commence similarly to a wall, but pass the first strand a under both b and c, as in Fig. 68.
Then pass b under both strands c and a, and bring up through the loop first formed by a (Fig. 69).
Similarly pass c under a and b, and bring up through the loop first formed by b (Fig. 70).
(6). A Double Matthew Walker will be easily learnt if you notice the difference between a single Matthew Walker and a Wall Knot.
In the Wall Knot you will have noticed that each strand is simply interlaced with the strand immediately on its right coming up through the loop formed by this second strand.
In the single Matthew Walker each strand interlaces the two strands to its right, coming up through the loop of the third strand.
Another evolution in the same order brings us to the double Matthew Walker. It is formed, as will be seen by carefully following diagram 71, by making each strand contain in its own loop, the other two strands, and its own end, that is, each strand leads up through its own bight after interlacing the other two.
When worked taut and finished off, it will appear as in Fig. 72.
(7). A Single Diamond Knot.—This is another method of forming the knot shown in Fig. 59, which in that case was formed by the two ends of the same rope.
To form it on a rope by its own strands, unlay the rope to the place where it is desired to form the knot, and as after the knot is made the strands will have to be laid up again, try to preserve the original lay in the strands as much as possible. Now bring each of the three strands down alongside the standing part of the rope, thus forming three bights, and hold them thus with the left hand. Take the first strand a (Fig. 73) and, putting it over the next, b, bring it up through the bight of the third strand c.
Take the end of the second strand over the third and up the bight of the first. The last strand is brought through over the first and up through the bight of the second. Haul taut, and lay the rope up again. Fig. 74 shows the loops in their places with the ends through them before they are hauled taut. Fig. 75 gives the knot finished.
For a double diamond we first make a single diamond, the ends are then made to follow the lead of the single knot through two single bights, the ends coming out on top of the knot. The last strand passes through two double bights. The ends are then hauled taut and laid up as before (Fig. 76).
(8). A Shroud Knot is a method of joining two ropes. Each is unlaid the necessary length, and they are then brought close together. A Wall Knot is formed on each rope with the strands of the other (Fig. 77).
The completed knot is shown in Fig. 78, but to make a neat job the ends should be marled and served as in Fig. 79.
(9). A Spritsail Sheet Knot.—Unlay both ends of the rope and bring the two standing parts of the rope together as in Fig. 80.
Grasping both parts of the rope at a, with the six strands form a Wall Knot, that is, by passing 1 under 2, 2 under 3, 3 under 4, 4 under 5, 5 under 6, and 6 under the loop formed by 1.
This would appear too confusing if shown in a diagram, but the knot is very easily made in practice.
Now lay any opposite two of the strands across the top in an opposite direction, and crown by passing the other four, each in turn, alternately over and under these two.
Each of the six strands will then come out leading in a downward direction alongside the strands forming the first walling.
Now follow round the walling again, when the strands will come through in an upward direction, each alongside a strand of the first crowning.
Follow through the crowning once more, and cut off the ends short, when a handsome and useful Stopper Knot will result, as shown in Fig. 81.
