Patrick Hand Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 Ok... this is going to be kinda long, and convuluted...... I started making a Ditty bag for a late-Birthday gift.... (The one on the left)... I still have to make the lanyard....... But then I got thinking...... Hey... Other than the one that I painted (so I now use it as a tent steak and rope bag)..... I don't have a dity bag.... So I got kinda carried away, and made it with a leather bottom, and some fancy work.... I still have to permately seize all of the netting.... right now, it's just temperoraly siezed so I can see how it looks..... I didn't want to have everything inside just jumbled up, so I made a ring of canvas on the inside that acts as pockets, so everything will stay in place.... Then the grommets, and a lanyard for it..... In MorganTyre's post on "Some Knotwork" https://pyracy.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11797 He showed a needle case that was covered with grafting..... The last time I tried doing any grafting, I was'nt very happy with the results..... So inspired by his post, I decided to try again..... I followed the instructions in The Marlinspike Sailor By Hervey Garrett Smith for "underhanded Grafting" but got the same results... It came out too plain.... (bottom left).... Then I thought..... what would happen if I skipped every other cord..... And I got TEXTURE..... Now I have to practice getting it consistant and even..... But the needle case (second form the left) came out more how I wanted it..... (I still have to add two more Turk Heads to finish it up).... Only one problem..... Yah... I know ..... "Measure Twice, Cut Once....." I made the bamboo part 1/2" too short to hold my longer needles..... Oh well.... it was a learning experience...... So I cut another piece of Bamboo that is longer, and will make another one... Then I got thinking..... I didn't like the idea of having an awl and pair of sissors loose in the dittybag..... "I wonder if they would fit into a chunk of bamboo?"..... Sure enough, it worked..... Now not only do I get to cover the needle case..... but also the awl case and the sissor case..... Well and finish the Ditty bag....... The Photo showing everything (as far as I have them made.....) ......................... Then I can make a seam rubber..... Toss in my sewing palm...... And all kinds of cool stuff for the Dittybag........
Capt. Sterling Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 As always Patrick... VERY nice! You never cease to amaze me. "I being shot through the left cheek, the bullet striking away great part of my upper jaw, and several teeth which dropt down the deck where I fell... I was forced to write what I would say to prevent the loss of blood, and because of the pain I suffered by speaking."~ Woodes Rogers Crewe of the Archangel http://jcsterlingcptarchang.wix.com/creweofthearchangel# http://creweofthearchangel.wordpress.com/
Captain Jim Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 As usual, outstanding. My occupational hazard bein' my occupation's just not around...
MorganTyre Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 Looking great Pat. A word of advice on the needlecase - if you spend time actually on or around the water with that make it a tad longer and toss a cotton ball in there and give it a squirt of light oil. That'll keep your needles rust free much longer. With the grafting I came across a website that gave me the following advice which was super helpful to me. Keep a hard tension on the warpline as you’re doing this. (I sit while I’m doing it and I lead the warp under my right arm and around my body once, across my lap from left to right and then UNDER me arse from right to left as I sit... the spool of line I’m using for the warp usually sits on the floor beside my left foot. This allows me to ‘feed” line as required just by raising up a bit and pulling out on the left hand.... when I’ve got enough line to work with, I sit back down and the line is clamped. It works well for me. (*from http://www.frayedknotarts.com/tutorials/grafting.html) I have a dittybag somewhere that I made when I was about fourteen or so. Last I saw, it was kicking around in my kids room. If I can find it I'll post pictures of the lanyard I made for it. It's not great, it was the first project of that type I'd attempted, but it turned out fairly well.
Patrick Hand Posted October 4, 2007 Author Posted October 4, 2007 Keep a hard tension on the warpline as you’re doing this. Yah... I found that helped a lot..... I also tightened each line again as I worked my way around.... and that made the pattern more even.... (It got better the farther down the tube......as I got the hang of it.....) I think on the other bamboo tubes, I won't just do underhanded grafting, but will play with some overhand grafting, coachwipping, and needle hitching....
Patrick Hand Posted October 4, 2007 Author Posted October 4, 2007 I just did a quick search for Ashley's Book of Knots.... Amizone has it.... but ouch... $50 + ..... I may have to do an inter-library loan and check it out first.......
Rumba Rue Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 dang Patrick....you are soooooooooooooo goooooooood!
MorganTyre Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 I think on the other bamboo tubes, I won't just do underhanded grafting, but will play with some overhand grafting, coachwipping, and needle hitching.... You can get a real variety of work by combining all those techniques. Also, grafting in it's basic sense is just a weave so you can use typical weaving patterns as you go to develop some neat patterns. Needle hitching is nice but soooo time consuming so I normally don't have the patience. Also, I have a hard time getting the needle hitching snug to whatever I am working around so I normally do a round of hitching, then take a round turn around the work, and then another round of hitching that catches both the previous hitches and that round turn. That way I can make sure evrything is tight tight tight and so hold on to slick surfaces like glass bottles (will post a pic tonight when I get home from work) and bamboo. I have never been able to get the hang of real coachwhipping. In it's basic form it's supposed to be just a four or six strand square sennit around a work but I just can't do it. If you figure it out please pass on anything you learn. For an alternative you can use an elongated turkshead like the last picture on my "some knotwork" post. For instructions do a search for my becket thread from some time ago.
Captain Jim Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 That's it...I'm going to sell the kids so I have time for more pyraty fun... What do you think I can get for them on Ebay? Kidding, kidding... My occupational hazard bein' my occupation's just not around...
Mary Diamond Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 Ah, Patrick, it is as if you read my mind and actually went to work on all the projects I want to do! Still trying to finish sewing up 3 sets of kit for PiP, though, so that must take priority. I did complete my sea chest, which I am so happy with! I have both books you reference ~ please let me know if there are any knots from Ashley's you would like me to take pics of and send to you. Oooh, shiny!
Capt. Sterling Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 What do you think I can get for them on Ebay?Kidding, kidding... Oh about 400 pounds of tobacco ...maybe.. "I being shot through the left cheek, the bullet striking away great part of my upper jaw, and several teeth which dropt down the deck where I fell... I was forced to write what I would say to prevent the loss of blood, and because of the pain I suffered by speaking."~ Woodes Rogers Crewe of the Archangel http://jcsterlingcptarchang.wix.com/creweofthearchangel# http://creweofthearchangel.wordpress.com/
MorganTyre Posted October 13, 2007 Posted October 13, 2007 Well, couldn't find my old ditty bag - got this from my wife "I don't know it's in the closet or attic or something" Here's a shot showing a needle-hitched bottle in progress. This is the one I refered to earlier. Also there in the picture is another bamboo case I made. This one out of jute. It's mainly just served and tarred. This one has a three strand "rope" lanyard for the cork that I twisted up from the just twine. It passes through a turkshead and then continues to a sort of belt loop. The lower end has an eye spliced into it and then made up so that it just fits over the end of the bamboo making the whole thing fit on to a belt securely but removable without having to remove the belt.
Patrick Hand Posted October 13, 2007 Author Posted October 13, 2007 I still have to finish the eyeletts/groummets, and lanyard...... Thinking I need something better than just cotton line......... But I do have the bambo tubes to hold everything done...... I do have to take a good photo showing the inside of the ditty bag...... dang... it turned out great..... I'm not in a "rush" to finish it...... so I can take my time.... But Heck... it's going ter be Grand.........
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