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AnneLiese

Anne Liese's Fibers and Stuff

Netting - How to make the basic knot

The instructions below are forone method of many possible methods for making a netting

knot. It is complicated and requires at least two thumbs, three pinkies and seven other fingersper hand (just kidding!!). Seriously, it is tricky to pick up, but worth it for lacemakers because it

is the best method for creating fine nets. Once the netter has mastered this knot, she uses

only three moves (wrapping the thread, putting the shuttle through, and pulling the knot tight)

which flow together. Traditional methods for larger nets may involve up to five moves (set up,

pass the shuttle, set up, pass the shuttle, pull tight) but can be done with thick rough rope

without abrading the hands.

Do not think that your first attempt at netting will yield a nice-looking net. In an average hands-on class of ten I will usually have one student who can actually make a reasonable net with odd

tension, one student who will insist on un-picking each knot that fails and spend more of her

time unknotting than knotting, about 6 who fail at their first several attempts but eventually get

it, and one or two who give up (many times I can talk them into trying again but being all the

way across the internet I might not be able to talk you back into trying again!). So please be

patient with yourself; if you fail at your first few knots it does NOT mean that you are inept or all

thumbs, it simply means you are a normal person learning a fairly complicated skill.

Tools Needed: (click here for some suggested sources for netting tools)

Netting Shuttle

The type and size of

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shuttle depends on the

size of your thread/rope

and your finished net. You

should be able to easily

load the shuttle with

several yards of thread or

rope. It should also be

small enough to fit through

a loop the size of the

diameter of your gauge

AFTER it is loaded with

thread/rope.

To the right are a few

netting shuttles in my

collection. All but the off-

white plastic one could be

considered netting

needles. The one on the

far right was made for me

from silver wire twisted

together. The off-white

plastic one was sold byLacis as a "Norwegian"

shuttle and works very

well for medium-weight

yarn.

The pictures below will

show a style of larger

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plastic shuttle available

from many sources that

works well for larger

fishnet-sized netting.

Those wanting an

"authentic" tool could

carve the shape from a

flattish piece of wood.

Netting Gauge

The gauge can be

anything with a constant

diameter; some are round

and some are flat likepopsicle sticks. For

hairnets and small work I

tend to use doublepointed

knitting needles. For large

nets a section of dowel

will do well, as shown

here.

Anchor Point

For classes I have

students hook their

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starting loop in a notch in

the end of a 3 foot long

dowel. This allows for a

student to anchor the

dowel between her legs

and pull down and

towards her stomach as

she works.

The only clear pre-1600's

illustration I've seen of a

woman netting showed

her work tied to a hook on

the wall. So if you don't

have a dowel, tie your

work to a doorknob or

something else that will

give resistance when you

pull down and towards

you.

Getting Started

Load the shuttle

Metal netting needle

shuttles should have a

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hole in one end which you

will tie your thread to.

Once the thread is tied,

you simply wrap the

thread end-to-end around

the shuttle, each time

passing through the

pincers. There is no needto thread the end of the

thread through the

pincers; placing the

thread across the opening

and pulling should make it

slip right in.

For a larger shuttle with a

prong in the center, start

by tying the string to the

prong.

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Wrap the string around

the bottom of the shuttle

and up the reverse side.

Slip the string around the

prong on that side and

wrap the thread around

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the bottom of the shuttle

again so it is again on the

front.

Slip the string around the

prong from that side andrepeat wrapping the

thread around the bottom

and around the prong.

When the shuttle is

sufficiently full, cut thestring.

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Tie a starting loop

This loop does not have

to be made of the samematerial as your net; it will

be taken out and thrown

away when the work is

done. Its size is not

important; neither is what

knot you use to tie the

string into a loop.

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Anc or your

starting loop

If you are not using a

dowel with a notch as your

anchor, you might tie your

starting loop to your

anchor point. Having a

hook to hang the loop on

without tying it allows you

the freedom to flip your

work if you are making a

flat piece or to rotate the

starting loop if you are

making a circular piece.

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Tie the working

string to thestarting loop

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Hold the gauge in your

non-dominant hand as

pictured above. The

directions below will refer

to the "gauge hand" and

"shuttle hand" rather thanleft or right to avoid

confusion for lefties and

those who find they prefer

holding the shuttle in their

left hand. Reverse the

images on your computer

or on a photocopier.

Place the gauge below

the starting loop and bring

the working string in

FRONT of the gauge.

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Around the fingers

Wrap the string around

the fingers of the gauge

hand from front to back. It

doesn't matter how many

fingers; at minimum wrapit around the gauge and

your middle finger or at

maximum wrap it around

the gauge and your index,

middle and ring fingers.

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Catch it with the

thumb

The string should be

pulled tight and anchored

on the top of the gauge

with your thumb to make

the loop around your

fingers stable.

Do not bring the thread

down in front of the

gauge; you will be taking

it back up and away fromthe gauge hand.

Watch out

stomach, here it

!*

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comes!*

Bring your working thread

up over part of the starting

loop (or the loop you will

net into next) and allow it

to drape down in back of

the gauge hand.

At this point unwind

enough thread from the

shuttle that the shuttle can

make it back towards

your stomach without

disarraying the part that is

draped.

* this line courtesy of

Baroness Cateline la

Broderesse

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Shuttle goes

under, under, over,through

Start with the tip of the

shuttle in the palm of your

gauge hand.

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Push the tip of the shuttle

behind the gauge and the

front part of the loop that

goes around your gauge

and fingers (that's the"under, under" part)

Make sure that the shuttle

will be going through the

loop that's around your

gauge and fingers. The tip

should be in front of the

back half of that loop(that's the "over" part).

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Now push the tip of thethe shuttle from back to

front through the loop

you're netting into; here

it's the starting loop.

That's the "through" part.

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Pull the shuttle through

and grab onto the thread.

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Catch the pinkie

Stick your little pinkie

WAY out and as you pull

the thread with yourshuttle hand catch the new

loop that is forming on

your pinkie.

DO NOT let go of that

loop until I tell you to; it

provides your tension so

that the knot forms in theplace you want it to.

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...And pull it to*

As you pull the thread with

your shuttle hand, also pull

down on the loop around

your pinkie which should

tighten the other loops

around your hand.

Let go of the loop caught

by your thumb.

* Pennsylvania Dutch

saying, usually applied to

closing a door

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Next, take your fingers

(except the pinkie!) out,

leaving a loop that should

tighten around the gauge.

Keep pulling down with

your pinkie as you pulleverything tighter with

your shuttle hand. You

may find that you almost

make a "sawing" motion

by pulling alternately with

your pinkie and shuttle

hand.

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Before the pinkie loop

gets too tight, bring theworking thread down in

FRONT of the gauge. The

sawing motion of

tightening should now

move the new knot

forwards and backwards

on the top of the gauge.

Center the new knot on

top of the gauge as you

let your pinkie loop get

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smaller and finally pull

your pinkie out at the last

minute.

You may notice in this

picture that I tend to put

my index finger on theback of the knot to control

the tightening of the pinkie

loop after the pinkie has

been taken out. I find with

fine threads this makes

my tension more

consistent. However, it

puts more strain on thethread at that point (and

more skin oils, if you are

working with white linen or

cotton).

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YOU DID IT!!!!!!

able to take your gauge

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able to take your gauge

out after each knot and

the knot will stay if you did

it correctly.

If the knot falls out whenyou remove the gauge

DON'T GIVE UP! Also

don't waste your time

trying to make your first

attempt "neat" by untying

knots and half-knots. Just

go on to attempt a new

knot, this time carefully

watching where the tip of

your shuttle goes in

relation to the loops.

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To start the next knot,

always check that your

working thread is in front

of the gauge and wrap theloop around your fingers

from front to back.

Next Steps:

Making a Flat Piece

Exercises in

Shaping a Net

All content c opyright the author, Jennifer Munson [email protected] author makes

no guarantees for instructions and recipes on this site; neither does she accept responsibility for theiroutcomes. Verbatim c opies may be made for educational purposes only provided they c ontain

original copyright marking.

This page c reated August 4, 2001

Last updated August 05, 2005