Knots For Peace and Freedom...or something like that.

“Friendship is a knot tied by angels' hands”
- Anonymous

One of my newest hobbies is knot tying/paracord weaving. I must admit that I was heavily inspired by the work of a single man in the 'Net, "Stormdrane." You can find a link to his blog in the link list - I would encourage you to go there and see the skill and artwork that this man creates.

During my absence, I took it upon myself to find something to do with my hands that was creative and produced a useable and tangible result, at the same time didn't require a workshop or tons of specialized tools. One day, while searching for something completely different, I happened upon Stormdrane's blog and I remembered that I had tried (rather unsuccessfully) to make things out of paracord while in the military. He not only made cool, useful everyday things that were beautiful but he linked to where he learned it - J.D. Lenzen of FusionKnots (his website is also in the list.)

Watching a few of J.D.'s instructional videos on YouToob showed me that it was possible for even a klutz like me to tie knots. So, I tried it one night with a bit of rope I had lying around the house and found that not only was it fun, but it required concentration to assure that everything comes out right at the end. Even better is the fact that you can usually untie what you have done if you realize a mistake has been made. Finally, I have the opportunity to make cool stuff and/or improve the function or appearance of things I already have.

Now, my lovely girlfriend has expressed concern that everything in our home will either be:

A - made of paracord

or

B - covered in paracord

Despite the fact that I don't find this to be too bad, I assured her that this was not the case, as there are other types of cordage out there that are just as easy to work with so it doesn't always have to be paracord. She rolled her eyes in frustration...

In the end, I find a kind of peace in the repetitive nature of knotting. I love doing a knot over and over to the point that I can do it without looking at a video for instruction. I encourage you all to try knotting a bit today.

As Stormdrane says - "Knot Responsibly" ;-)

Jake