by April Conrad
Knot tying is a
useful and practical skill to have –
and when applied to colorful string,
it can be crafty, too. Knots are
used to secure boats and rig fishing
lines, but they’re also pretty handy
for tying shoelaces and ties and for
making friendship bracelets to trade
with friends.
Once your children know how to
create some of the most basic knots,
they can build on that knowledge to
create more intricate things.
Useful knots
"Learning how to tie knots can be
beneficial in so many everyday ways,
right down to tying shoes," says Cub
Scout leader Paul Gordy of Lithia
Springs. "Knot tying teaches
children to pay close attention to
what they’re doing, because if they
don’t the knot will be tied wrong
and won’t do what it’s designed to
do."
One of the most
common knots is the
square knot,
and it is used to tie two lines
together. It’s easy, too: Holding
two ends of a rope, say to yourself,
"Right over left, and under; left
over right, and under. Now, pull!"
Once a square knot is mastered,
other knots can be used for outdoor
activities like tying down tents or
attaching a boat to a piling. The
double half-hitch is a simple but
secure knot .
"A taut-line hitch
knot is a good camping knot used to
attach a tent to stakes in the
ground," Gordy says. |
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Knotting Resources
• “Friendship
Bracelets”
A Klutz book and kit by
Laura Torres
$14.95
www.klutz.com
• The Everything
Knots Book: Step-By-Step
Instructions for Tying
Any Knot
(Everything Series)
$14.95
by Randy Penn
www.Amazon.com
• “The Klutz Book
of Knots”
A Klutz book and kit by
John Cassidy
$10.95
www.klutz.com
• “Why Knot?
An Introduction
to Knots, Splices and
Rope”
DVD, $29.95
www.Amazon.com
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On the Web
Sites with
pictures or animated
knot demonstrations:
www.boatsafe.com
www.folsoms.net
www.tollesburysc.co.uk |
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Attractive knots
Knots are also
used for decorative purposes. Braids
are considered decorative knots.
They also have a practical purpose
in shortening lines – or hair.
A fashionable
twist on knots is the friendship
bracelet, popular with girls and
boys. A simple starting point for
beginners is the double chain knot
method. (Materials you’ll need are
six strings of two different colors,
each about 27 inches long, and a
clipboard.) Take the six strings and
tie them together in a knot about 1
1/2 inches from the top. Clip the
end on the clipboard. Separate the
two colors so that you have two
thick bundles. Pull the bundle of
one color straight down, and then
take the bundle of the other color
and wrap it around in a loop,
pulling the end through the loop.
Repeat with the other color.
Continue tying these knots until the
bracelet is the desired length. Tie
a knot in the end to secure the
remaining strings. Trim the ends if
necessary.
Lashing is
another form of knot tying for the
crafty, and can be as simple as
tying a string around two Popsicle
sticks. Different colors of yarn or
string can be used to create works
of art that can be hung on the walls
of your child’s room.
After your child learns one or
two simple knot techniques, the
possibilities are endless.
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