WORKING CORDAGE.
Seizing implies the fastening together of two ropes, or different
parts of the same rope, with several closely placed coils of small
rope, spun yarn, etc. The several kinds of seizings take their names
from the positions they occupy in a ship’s rigging. End seizing is a
round seizing at the end of a rope. Throat seizing is the first seizing
clapped on where ropes cross each other. Middle seizing is between a
throat and end seizing. Eye seizing is a round seizing next to an eye
in the rope.
[Illustration: Fig. 122.—Flemish Eye.]
To make a round seizing, make a small eye in the end of the seizing
stuff, and, after taking a turn round both parts of the rope, reeve the
ends through the eye, take two or three turns, and haul them taut with
a marlinespike hitch (Fig. 40, p. 40); pass eight or ten turns close
together, and heave taut. Bring the end back under these turns and out
between the last two coils, and pass another series of turns on the top
of the others, which are called riders, and are not hove so taut as
the first turns. There is always one less of the riding turns than of
the lower ones. Two cross turns sometimes are taken, passing between
the ropes to be joined and across the whole of the seizing; the end is
brought under the last turn, hove tight, and secured, if large, with a
wall knot, crossed (Fig. 83, p. 66), and, if small, with an overhand
knot, and cut off. Other seizings are done in a similar way.
Sennit is a flat rope, made by plaiting together rope-yarn or spun yarn,
the outside yarns being brought over to the middle from each side
alternately. It always has an odd number of yarns, generally from five
to thirteen. French sennit is braided with an even number of yarns
passed over and under every other time.
[Illustration: Fig. 123.—Grommet.]
Gaskets are made of braided cordage in the same manner as sennit, and
are used for confining the sails when furled to the yards. They are
called arm gaskets when used at the ends of the yards. Bunt gaskets
are used in the middle of the yard to hold the bunt of the sail, and
quarter gaskets between the middle and extremities of the yards.
A Flemish eye (Fig. 122) is a form of eye made without splicing. Unlay
one strand at the end of a rope, and bring the two other strands, just
as they are, against the standing part, so as to form an eye of the
size required. Lay up the unlaid strand in the intervals in the rope
from which it has been taken, but in the reverse way—that is, begin at
the end and keep on laying it round until it comes down the standing
part and lies along with the other strands. The ends are then tapered,
marled down, and served over with small stuff.
An artificial eye is the end of a rope unlaid, and the yarns of which
the strands are composed are separated. The yarns are now hitched round
a piece of wood the size of the proposed eye. They are then marled,
parcelled, and served over.
A grommet (Fig. 123) is a ring of rope made by carefully unlaying one
strand from a rope and cutting it off. All the turns must be left in
it. Form a ring by laying one part over the other, taking care that the
turns coincide with one another. Pass one end round and round, in the
lay, until all the intervals are filled up and the ring is complete.
The two ends are secured as in a long splice, first with an overhand
knot, and then by dividing the strands and passing half of them under
the standing part, and cutting off the remainder. Grommets are used for
stropping blocks, handles for chests, snorters for the heel of sprits,
etc. They are very often parcelled and served to make them look neater.
It is easier to make them if the rope from which the strands are taken
is laid up hard.
[Illustration: Fig. 124.—Selvagee.]
Selvagee (Fig. 124) is a number of rope-yarns fastened together. To make
it, drive two nails into a piece of board at a sufficient distance
from one another to form the size of selvagee required. Wind rope-yarn
round these to form the desired thickness, and marl them down with spun
yarn. They are used to form a neat stropping for blocks, or to go round
a spar to which a hook is to be fixed. Fig. 125 shows how a selvagee is
employed for fastening a block to a rope. The middle of it is placed
against the rope, and the bights passed one over the other until they
come close to the rope, when the hook of the block is inserted.
[Illustration: Fig. 125.—Selvagee fastening Block to Rope.]
Worming is filling the intervals between the strands of a rope by
laying spun yarn or other small stuff into them. This renders the rope
more even and smooth for parcelling and serving. The first end of the
worming is securely stopped and passed along one of the divisions of
the rope. When it has been carried as far as it is required, it is
stopped and laid back down another interval, and then forward along
the remaining one, and stopped at the end. To estimate the quantity of
serving stuff required for a given length of rope, multiply the length
of rope to be served by the number of strands in the rope, and add
one-third of the product. The result is the length of serving necessary
to do the work. Thus, if six fathoms of three-strand rope have to be
served:—(6 × 3 = 18) (18 ÷ 3 = 6) 18 + 6 = 24. Thus 24 fathoms is the
length of serving. Fig. 126 shows at A how worming looks when finished.
[Illustration: Fig. 126.—Worming, Parcelling, and Marling.]
Parcelling, B (Fig. 126), is done by winding strips of old and generally
tarred canvas smoothly round a rope in spiral turns after it has been
wormed and before it is served. To secure the canvas it is marled
down—that is, some marline or other small stuff is wound round it,
which is secured at every turn with a hitch, so that each of the turns
is secure and independent of each other (see B, Fig. 126). The proper
hitch for securing the turns is shown on a larger scale in Fig. 72, p.
60. In marling down, the coils are not laid close to one another as in
serving, but always at some distance apart.
[Illustration: Fig. 127.—Serving.]
Fig. 127 shows the way a rope is served or covered with coils of spun
yarn or other small stuff laid on quite close to one another. The end
of the yarn is first secured by placing it under the first two or three
coils. A serving-mallet (see Fig. 127), after being placed against the
rope, has two or three turns passed round the body of it, and another
turn or two on the handle. This produces sufficient friction to leave
the coils taut as the mallet is worked round the rope by its handle.
Another person is required for passing the ball of serving stuff. The
service must be put on against the lay of the rope. A rope may be
served single-handed by carrying the serving stuff on a large reel,
with a hole in its centre large enough for the rope to run through.
This is kept just ahead of the mallet, and the serving stuff comes off
the reel of its own accord as required. When the mallet is within a few
turns of the end, the turns are taken off it by hand, the end is put
through them, and heaved well taut.
[Illustration: Fig. 128.—Belaying.]
A rope is belayed or made fast by cross turns round a cleat in the
way shown in Fig. 128. The cleat is assumed to be lashed to a stay
or other rope, but it is often made fast to some part of the vessel.
Occasionally a single hitch is put over the upper horn of the cleat to
make the rope still more secure.
[Illustration: Fig. 129.—Fairleader.]
A rope is taken at right angles from one part of a vessel to another by
means of a “fairleader” (Fig. 129). This is a block of wood with a hole
in it big enough to allow the line to run freely through it. The back
of it is grooved to fit the rope it is lashed to. Where more than one
line has to be led, a piece of board or plank with holes through it is
used. A fairleader is not necessarily fastened to a rope, but is fixed
in any suitable position.
[Illustration: Fig. 130.—Belaying Pin.]
A belaying-pin with a rope made fast to it (Fig. 130) is the usual way
of securing running rigging, as it can be made fast and cast off so
rapidly.
[Illustration: Fig. 131.—Toggle.]
[Illustration: Fig. 132.—Another Form of Toggle.]
Fig. 131 shows a method of securing ropes together by means of a
toggle, a piece of wood turned to shape and having a groove in the
centre, round which the end of a rope is spliced. An eye is made in
another rope by any method and the toggle slipped into it. It is undone
by slackening the ropes and putting the toggle through the eye, end
foremost. Fig. 132 is another form of toggle, the round piece of wood
being shaped like a button. It has a hole in the centre, through which
a rope is passed and the end knotted.
[Illustration: Fig. 133.—Fender on Side of Boat.]
A fender (Fig. 133) protects the sides of a boat from being chafed and
the paint or varnish rubbed off. Occasionally a fender is of wood,
which is slung over the boat’s side by a lanyard reeved through a hole
in the end of it, but more often it is of canvas, stuffed with oakum
and painted. Fig. 133 shows an easily made soft fender which does not
need painting. Take a piece of Manilla rope double the length of the
fender; unlay it, open the strands, and comb them down until all the
yarns lie straight; double it and clap an eye-seizing on it, marling
it down as illustrated. A lanyard of small cords, such as log-line, is
then spliced into the eye.
[Illustration: Fig. 134.—Fender with Ropeyarn Heart.]
Fig. 134 shows a handsomer form of boat’s fender. This is made of a
centre or “heart” of rope-yarn worked over or grafted with short pieces
of rope-yarn called “knittles” or “nettles”; this is a kind of weaving.
The nettles are first cut to the right length, and the middle part
slightly twisted. They are then brought snugly round a thimble, and a
seizing put under it. The heart is put into its place and the nettles
laid evenly over it. Half of the nettles, taken alternately, are turned
back over the eye, the rest lying down the heart. Pass a turn or two of
twine or marline, called the warp or filling, round the fender where
the nettles separate, and hitch it. The turned back nettles must now
be brought down, and those that are down turned up over the eye. The
warp is now passed again, and hitched as before. This must be repeated
until the whole of the fender is covered with a sort of woven coat as
shown in Fig. 134. The ends of the nettles are brought round the last
turn of the warp, and interlaced in the grafting. This fender requires
a lanyard the same as the last one.
[Illustration: Fig. 135.—Thimble Side View. Fig. 136.—Thimble Cross
Section.]
A thimble, shown in side view and section by Figs. 135 and 136, is an
iron ring, usually galvanised, and a rope or strop fits snugly in its
flanged rim. It may be heart-shaped or round, and is used as a small
eye on the end of a rope to receive another rope.
[Illustration: Fig. 137.—Mousing a Hook.]
Fig. 137 shows a method of “mousing a hook,” that is, preventing a
chain slipping off a hook. A few turns of rope-yarn are passed round the
end of the hook and the standing part, and the ends brought round the
middle a few times, and fastened with a reef knot.
For “stropping a block” (Fig. 138) a grommet is neat, and a selvagee
still neater, especially when leather-covered. The block is first
fixed in one bight, so that the lower part of the block sits on the
splice, if there is one. A thimble is put into the other bight, and a
seizing put on between the block and the thimble, each turn of which is
hove taut with a heaver. The turns are, lastly, crossed, and the ends
knotted. Fig. 138 shows the work finished. Sometimes the stropping is
made by splicing the ends of a suitable length of rope together.
[Illustration: Fig. 138.—Stropping a Block.]
[Illustration: Fig. 139.—Pointing a Rope.]
[Illustration: Fig. 140.—Another Method of Pointing a Rope.]
Pointing a rope is done partly to prevent it from untwisting, and
partly to make it go more readily through a block or hole. Fig. 139
shows one method. The rope is unlaid for the necessary length, the
strands reduced gradually, and then laid up again. The ends are
finally whipped with small twine. If necessary the end is stiffened
by inserting a piece of stick. Sometimes a “becket”—that is, a piece
of small line with an eye at the end—is put into the end and whipped
over to secure it, as in Fig. 139. Fig. 140 gives a more elaborate
method. The rope is first unlaid, and a stop put on it where the unlaid
part begins. As many yarns as are required are taken out and made into
nettles by twisting together the two halves of different yarns. The
remainder of the yarns is scraped down taper with a knife. Half of
the nettles is turned back on the standing part of the rope, and the
other half allowed to lie on the scraped part. Two or three turns of
twine are hitched round the division of the two sets of strands, and
the nettles laid backwards and forwards, the weft being passed each
time, as described in making the fender (Fig. 134). The end usually
is whipped and a seizing put on the upper part, which is snaked, as
illustrated, by passing twine diagonally under and over the outer turns
of the seizing alternately—that is, if it comes out over the upper
turn, it will go under the bottom one, under the top, and so on until
it is finished.
Fig. 141 is part of a mainstay. An eye is first made in the end, and
a mouse the shape of a pear raised on the rope with spun yarn. Each
turn of the yarn is hove well taut with a large serving-mallet, and
beaten close. The eye and the rope as far as the mouse are wormed,
parcelled, and served over; the mouse and the part below it (the tail)
are parcelled with worn canvas, well tarred, and pointed over or
grafted with small stuff. The mouse is covered with nettles, and their
number diminished as they are worked into the smaller parts. Below the
pointing it is again served over.
[Illustration: Fig. 141.—Mainstay.]
Shear-legs are fastened together as indicated in Fig. 142. They are
first laid side by side, and a lashing of rope put round them. The
ends of the lashing are carried one up and the other down to form
a cross lashing, and are knotted in the middle. This is called a
Portuguese knot. When the legs are separated, the knot becomes very
secure.
A neat pair of yoke lines is made and fitted in the following manner.
The length of the lines depends upon the distance of the yoke from the
after seat; that distance added to 3 ft. will give a good length for
each line. Supposing the top of the back-board to be 3 ft. from the
yoke, two-and-a-half fathoms of white cotton rope will be necessary,
the extra half fathom being allowed for knotting, etc. Cut this in two
equal lengths; take one of these and “stop” with a few turns of twine
at 14 in. from one end and 6 in. from the other, which will leave 70
in. between the stops or whippings. Now unlay the longer end and whip
each strand close to the end, leaving a few inches of spare twine on
each, which will be useful when finishing the manrope knot.
[Illustration: Fig. 142.—Shear-legs.]
[Illustration: Fig. 143.—Wall Knot.]
Holding the line in the left hand, make a single wall knot, as shown
in Fig. 143. The strand A is first placed and held in position by the
thumb; B is next taken and passed round the end of A, then C round the
end of B, and up through the loop formed in the first instance with
A. Now pull together evenly, but not too tightly, and with the three
ends remaining work a crown (see Fig. 144), where A is crossed over the
knot, then B over A, and C over B, and down through the loop formed by
A. After pulling this crown together evenly, the state shown by Fig.
145 is reached; notice that the ends lie snug against the strands of
the wall knot first formed. Keeping each end on the same side of its
partner, let it follow the same round, using a steel pricker to open
the way between the strands. The twine ends before-mentioned will now
be found useful in coaxing these ends through their holes. When each
end has followed its partner round the wall and crown, the ends which
will come out at the neck of the knot may be cut off and the manrope
knot (Fig. 146) will be completed. A red leather washer with serrated
edge is usually pushed up to the knot as a finish.
[Illustration: Fig. 144.—Crown.]
[Illustration: Fig. 145.—Crown Hauled Taut.]
[Illustration: Fig. 146.—Manrope Knot.]
[Illustration: Fig. 147.—Pointing End of Yoke Line.]
The other end of the line should be pointed. To do this, unlay and fray
out the 6 in. of end, then pick out the yarns nearest the edge—that is,
next the whipping—and make a number of 2-ply nettles by laying up these
outer yarns, scraping them a little with a knife to make them taper
slightly. There must be an even number of nettles, and sufficient to
lay close together all round the “heart,” which is formed by scraping
away the centre yarns to an even taper, then marling down tight with
twine as seen at D (Fig. 147). Half the nettles must now be placed
along the heart, and half and half back over the whipping, picking
them out alternately. An indiarubber band is convenient to keep them
in place while passing the “warp”—that is, two turns of twine hitched
round the heart and those nettles lying along it.
[Illustration: Fig. 148.—Fastening off Yoke Line.]
The nettles must now change places; all that were placed back must
go forward, and all that were along the heart must go back over the
whipping, and the warp is again passed twice round and hitched; this
process is continued till the point reaches the length of 2 in., or
whatever length of point is required. Four times the diameter of
the rope is a good rule for this. To fasten off, all the nettles are
stroked down towards the tapered end, and all those round which the
warp was last passed are doubled back as shown in Fig. 148, three
hitched turns of the warp being passed through all the “bites” or loops
of the nettles, which are then pulled down and cut off with the other
nettle ends. The twine stop is then taken off and a neat snake whipping
put on in its place.
A bunting fringe is generally added as a finish, and this is very
easily made by fraying out a piece of blue or red bunting 4 in. square,
and laying the threads down together ends even, then placing enough of
these round the yoke line to encircle it at about 1 in. from the snake
whipping. Pass a number of turns of twine round all near the centre
of the bunting threads to form a little knob, then stroke all the
bunting threads towards the point and put round all a neat snake-thread
whipping just below the knob. This will form a little tassel, as shown
in Fig. 149, which represents one yoke line completed. The other is, of
course, made in the same manner.
[Illustration: Fig. 149.—Yoke Line Complete.]
[Illustration: Fig. 150.—Stern Ladder.]
[Illustration: Fig. 151.—Round of Stern Ladder.]
A rope ladder, owing to its portability, is for some purposes more
suitable than one made of wood, especially where the ladder is to be
hauled up when not in use. Fig. 150 shows a rope ladder which is made
of four-strand rope; the rounds are turned out of oak to the form shown
in Fig. 151. The groove at the ends is for the reception of the strands
of the rope. The rounds are rather more than 1 in. in diameter, and are
placed 11 in. apart. The strands are opened with a marlinespike and
the rounds inserted between them, two on each side: a seizing is put
on below each round; a round thimble is put into the upper bight, and
an eye seizing is clapped on below it. The lower ends are generally
spliced together, or a thimble may be spliced in, as at the upper end,
if it is intended to make the lower end fast.
[Illustration: Fig. 152.—Single Rope Ladder with Chocks.]
[Illustration: Fig. 153.—Toe Chock for Rope Ladder.]
Another form of rope ladder is shown in Fig. 152. A number of oak
chocks (Fig. 153) are turned, usually about 5 in. in diameter and 5 in.
deep, bored to 1 in. diameter with the grain of the wood; this will
take a 3-in. four-stranded rope. Splice an eye at one end and seize in
a thimble for the lashing; put on one of the wooden steps, flat side
uppermost towards the thimble and about 30 in. down. Insert a strand
of ratline stuff between two strands of the rope, and with the two
ends of the strand work a “wall knot” round the rope, then a “crown,”
which will bring the ends down to the first turns of the wall. Pull the
parts up tight, and follow them round once; the result will be a neat
knot looking like a two-parted Turk’s head. If preferred, two strands
may be inserted crossing each other at right angles between the four
rope strands; then with all four ends work a double wall knot round the
rope. Between the knots, spaced 15 in. apart, slip on the wood. Do not
cut off the ends short until the knots have got well jammed up.
[Illustration: Fig. 154.—Rope Ladder with Rungs.]
[Illustration: Fig. 155.—Wood Rung.]
[Illustration: Fig. 156.—Pilot Ladder.]
For a 25-ft. ladder of a better kind, illustrated in Fig. 154, two
dozen oval rungs of wood will be required, having at the ends scores
rasped as shown at Fig. 155. The rungs may be 12 in. long. Nine fathoms
of 4-in. four-stranded rope must be well stretched and the turns taken
out, stretched again, etc. Middle it and seize a thimble in the bight,
making this fast to a post. Then stretch out both parts together,
and mark off the positions for the rungs with chalk, 12 in. apart.
At every chalk mark, and round each part of rope separately, put a
seven-turn whipping of tarred nettle stuff (this is sold in hanks). Now
begin at the end nearest the bight or lower end, open the strands with
a fid and spike above the seizings or whippings, and push in a rung,
taking care to avoid twisting the rope by inserting the spike between
the two strands best situated. When all the rungs are in and the ladder
hangs without much twist, the open parts of the strands may be drawn
together with a marlinespike and a piece of sennit or by carefully
using a screw cramp above the rungs; then a six-turn seizing of nettle
stuff put tightly on above each of the rungs keeps them in place. The
top rung should be rather stouter than the rest to allow a deeper
score. Splice a thimble into each end, and into each thimble a fathom
of eighteen-yarn stuff for lashings. This is a good ladder to hang down
clear, and is used over ships’ sterns and from lower booms, the lower
thimble being convenient for boats’ “painters.”
[Illustration: Fig. 157.—Side Piece of Pilot Ladder.]
To hang against a ship’s side, where room for the toe projecting over
the rung is needed, a pilot ladder (Fig. 156) is more comfortable, but
more difficult to make. The steps are usually of teak, mortised into
diamond-shaped side pieces (see Fig. 157) about 8 in. deep by 5 in.,
with a score rasped out all round the edges. About twenty-three or
twenty-four of these steps will be required for a 25-ft. ladder, and
eighteen fathoms of 2½-in. three-stranded rope. Prepare by stretching
well as before; cut in two equal parts and mark the middle of each
length. Place one of the steps immediately over the marks and seize it
tight in place by bringing the parts of rope round the score on each
side to meet above. If the next step is placed on this seizing and so
on, the completed ladder is too stiff to roll up; it is therefore
necessary to put two seizings between each step, leaving about 2½ in.
of free rope between them. When the steps are thus seized in place,
the ends on each side are made even, spliced together, and fitted with
thimbles for the lashings.
[Illustration: Fig. 158.—Beginning Mat.]
Mats are used on board ship to prevent chafing. In making wrought mats
a piece of small cord is stretched tight horizontally at about the
height of a man, and fastened at each end. Across this, hanging by
their middles, nettles are placed. These are often made of “foxes”—that
is, three or more rope-yarns twisted together by hand, and each rubbed
down with tarred canvas or a handful of rope-yarn. Beginning with the
nettle nearest the left hand, it is crossed as A (Fig. 158). Another
nettle is then brought up close to the first, and crossed in the
same way. The end B is then passed over the strand C, and pushed to
the back; another nettle is then brought forward, crossed as before,
and one part of it put over the part D, and pressed back. The work
is continued this way, working diagonally until a sufficient width
is obtained (Fig. 159); then, as no more nettles are added, and the
outside nettle on the right is brought over from time to time, a
selvage is formed as on the left side. Take care not to twist each of
the nettles together at the bottom, so that they may retain their
twist until the next in succession is brought down to interweave
with them. There is a little difficulty at starting, but afterwards
everything goes on easily. Each nettle from the right passes over the
next one to it on the left, and is pushed back, the one that has been
passed over being taken up first over the next and pushed back as
before. Each twist should be pressed tight as it is made. When the mat
is deep enough, a selvage is made by straining another piece of cord
along the bottom, securing both ends. As each nettle comes down it is
half-hitched to this, and the next nettle is laid up at the back of it,
and so on alternately.
Mats are frequently thrummed; this is done by raising the nettles lying
on the top of the mat with a marlinespike or pricker after the mat is
finished, and putting short pieces of the nettle stuff underneath. The
thrums are then cut off to the same length, and opened out. Of course,
wrought mats may be made of any material and used for a variety of
purposes. They make most excellent door-mats, and are of everlasting
wear. For this purpose they should not be made of tarred stuff. Very
pretty mats may be constructed of twine for the foundation and various
coloured pieces of worsted for the thrums.
A kind of mat used aboard ship is called a sword mat. It is woven, but
a loom is not used. Two small cords, or, better still, two small rods,
are secured horizontally and the nettle stuff wound round them, the
coils being laid close together. A piece of wood called a “fiddle,”
as long as the width of the mat and about 2 in. wide and ⅜ in. thick,
has half as many holes bored near the lower edge as these nettles in
the mat. Every alternate nettle is secured to this by some twine laced
through the holes. Another fiddle is fastened in like manner to the
remaining nettles. The work can now be begun. The first fiddle is
raised, and the first set of nettles consequently raised with it. What
weavers call a “shed” is thus formed—that is, an opening between the
two sets of nettles—and along it the weft or filling is passed by means
of a netting needle (see p. 125). The filling is driven well home with
a flat piece of wood, tapered towards the edge, called a “sword.” The
first set of nettles is now allowed to drop, and the second set drawn
up with the other fiddle. The filling is passed again and driven home
as before. The work is thus continued until there is no longer room to
use the sword, when the filling must be worked home with a pricker.
When the mat is long enough, the filling is fastened off, and the mat
is complete. These mats may be thrummed in the same manner as the
wrought mats.
[Illustration: Fig. 159.—Mat Making.]
A softer kind of mat is made on a foundation of canvas or duck, which
is very suitable for the stern-sheets of a boat or any other similar
purpose. The material is cut to the right size and folded a short
distance from the edge. A hole is made near the selvage with a pricker
and a thrum inserted; another hole is then made a short distance
from the first and another thrum put in, and so on until the row is
completed. Row after row is thus worked until the mat is finished. Of
course the holes, and consequently the thrums, go through both parts
of the material. When the canvas is pulled straight after each row is
finished, the thrums are held securely without any other fastening.
When a pattern is to be worked on the mat, the design must first be
drawn on the material in pencil and the canvas folded accordingly;
every fold produces two rows of thrums. White duck thrummed with pieces
of cotton rope makes very nice, clean-looking mats for boat use, and as
they wash well they can always be kept in good order. These mats, with
a stout canvas or sacking foundation, thrummed with pieces of untarred
hemp rope, serve very well for door-mats, though, of course, they will
not last as long as wrought mats.
Very ornamental mats are made somewhat after the same manner as those
just described. Any suitable material, of any colour, can be used for
the foundation, on which the pattern must be drawn. The mat is folded
along the line intended to be worked, and a common pencil laid along
the ridge of the fold. The worsted or other material used is threaded
in a large needle, and worked over and over the pencil, thus forming,
when the pencil is withdrawn, a series of loops on the foundation.
Any pattern can thus be worked, provided always that it consists of
straight lines. It might be possible to form curved lines by working
the loops over the first finger of the left hand, moving the finger
after each loop.