How to Do Knots & Lashes
Knots and lashing are used to secure all kinds of objects. Lashings are usually used to secure two items together, such as posts or poles, and several kinds of knots are often used in one lashing. Many kinds of knots exist. Some are basic, everyday ties, while others are more complicated, used for specific purposes. Sailing, for example, often involves the use of the whipping knot, which prevents a rope from unraveling.
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Instructions
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Tripod Lashing
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Lay three wooden tent poles in a row together.
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Tie a clove hitch around the tent pole closest to you, about 3 inches from the top or wherever you want the poles to be joined.
The clove hitch is a knot accomplished by wrapping the free end of the twine around the post once, running it under the standing end of twine and back around the pole. For the second turn, rotate the free end around the pole one more time, insert the end through the loop you just formed and pull it tight.
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3
Pull the long end of the twine toward you and put it under the pole closest to you. Bring it up over the middle pole and under the last pole. Bring the twine back over the last pole, under the middle pole and over the first pole. Take the twine back under the first pole and bring it back up to the start position, with the twine coming out between the first and second poles. This is one round of lashing.
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4
Repeat the lashing rounds five times. Do one more round of lashing, but this time, stop at the last pole and wrap the twine another half turn instead of winding back to the start.
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5
Line the lashings up so they are even and do not overlap.
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6
Wrap the long twine around the threads in between the second and third pole, three times. When you are finished, feed the twine under the middle pole and wrap it three times around the threads between the first and second poles. This is called frapping and will tighten the twine around the poles.
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7
Wrap the twine around the first pole one last time and secure it with a clove hitch. Wrap the remaining twine around the pole until it is used up, and tuck the end inside.
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8
Stand the poles up and spread them out to set up the tripod.
West Country Whipping Knot
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9
Find the center of the twine and place it underneath the rope. Bring each end up so it crosses, and secure in an overhand knot by bringing the strand on the bottom up and through the loop. Pull tight. Repeat the overhand knot on the opposite side of the rope.
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10
Continue making overhand knots, alternating the top and the bottom until you have about five knots on each side or the knots take up about 1 inch of the rope.
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11
Finish the whipping knot by tying overhand knots at the end of the whipping knot without wrapping it around the rope first. Tie three or four overhand knots. Feed the tails of the thread through the middle of the rope and trim them. If the twine you are using is synthetic, you can touch the ends with a lit match to melt them and further prevent them from unraveling.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Yellow knot 2 image by Alexander Oshvintsev from Fotolia.com
