KNOTTING

“Knotting” or “Knot tying” skills are one the most common and interesting skills that we learn during our Scouting life. In this series, “Team SOM” is focusing some of the common knots; including tenderfoot (first stage/membership), second class (scout standard) and first class (advance scout standard) knots.

Knot tying skills are often transmitted by sailors, scouts, climbers, cavers, arborists, rescue professionals, fishermen, and surgeons. After one has mastered a few basic knots, diagrams and pictures become easier to understand. As one learns more knots, one starts to distinguish patterns in their structure and tying method. Learning knots demands practice and patience.

WHAT IS A KNOT?

A knot is a method of fastening or securing linear material such as rope by tying or interweaving. It may consist of a length of one or several segments of rope, string, webbing, twine, strap, or even chain interwoven such that the line can bind to itself or to some other object-the "load". Knots have been the subject of interest for their ancient origins, their common uses, and the area of mathematics known as knot theory.

TYPES OF KNOTS

The list of knots is broad, but common properties allow for a useful system of classification. For example, loop knots share the attribute of having some kind of an anchor point constructed on the standing end (such as a loop or overhand knot) into which the working end is easily hitched to using a round turn.

HOW MAY IT USE?

There is a large variety of knots, each with properties that make it suitable for a range of tasks. Some knots are used to attach the rope (or other knotting material) to other objects such as another rope, cleat, ring, or stake. Some knots are used to bind or constrict objects. Knots can be applied in combination to produce complex objects such as lanyards and netting. In rope work, the frayed end of a rope is held together by a type of knot called a whipping knot. Many types of textiles use knots to repair damage. The ability to choose the right knot for the job is a core skill of knot-tying.

CARE OF ROPE

Obtain a piece of rope about 1 inch in circumference and about 20 feet long. A short piece is of little or no practical use. Because you are going to use this rope for a long time as part of your regular equipment, treat it carefully and prepare it for hard service.

PARTS OF A ROPE

A straight piece of rope does not have definite parts such as a head, body or tail. In order to understand and describe knot tying, we think of it as having three sections – two ends and a standing part. Some knots are formed by two ends (reef knot), some by the end and standing part (bowline), and some by the standing part alone (sheep shank). Many knots seem an endless maze of parts. But even the most complex knots can be broken down to a combination of three basic turns, bight, loop or overhand.

COMPONENTS OF THE ROPE

A: TURN:

A turn or single turn is a single pass behind or through an object.

B: ROUND TURN:
A round turn is the complete encirclement of an object; requires two passes.

C: TWO ROUND TURNS:
Two round turns circles the object twice; requires three passes.

BIGHT: A "bight" is any curved section, slack part, or loop between the ends of a rope.

LOOP: A full circle formed by passing the working end over itself. Note that 'loop' is also used to refer to a 'types' of knots.

ELBOW: Two crossing points created by an extra twist in a loop.

STANDING END: The end of the rope not involved in making the knot, often shown as unfinished.

WORKING END: The active end of a line used in making the knot. May also be called the 'running end', 'live end', or 'tag end'.

WORKING PART Section of line between knot and the working end.

STANDING PART Section of line between knot and the standing end.

HISTORY OF KNOTTING:

Knots are essential in many industries, hobbies and domestic activities. Even simple activities such as running a load from the hardware store to home can turn into disaster if a clumsy twist in a cord passes for a knot.

The history of knots is as aged as when human beings first began making weapons for hunting and wearing clothes. The origins of many knots are lost in history, so we are only able to estimate how old knots are.

For thousands of years ago, Archaeologists have discovered that knots have been used for basic uses such as recording information, fastening and tying objects together. Over time people realized that different knots were better at different tasks, such as climbing or sailing. Knots have interested humans for their spiritual, religious and cultural symbolism in addition to their creative qualities.

In 1961, an algorithm that can determine whether or not a knot is a knot and a strategy for solving the general knot recognition problem was discovered, i.e. determining if two given knots are equivalent or not. Mathematical studies of knots began in the 19th century. Tabulation motivated the early knot theorists, but knot theory eventually became part of the emerging subject of topology.

In the late 1970s, hyperbolic geometry introduced into the study of knots with the hyperbolization theorem. Many knots were shown to be hyperbolic knots, enabling the use of geometry in defining new, powerful knot invariants. The discovery of the Jones polynomial in 1984, and subsequent contributions, revealed deep connections between knot theory and mathematical methods in statistical mechanics and quantum field theory.

In the last several decades of the 20th century, scientists became interested in studying physical knots in order to understand knotting phenomena in DNA and other polymers. Knot theory may be crucial in the construction of quantum computers, through the model of topological quantum computation.