Glossary: Knot Taxonomy
Although it is sometimes useful to distinguish between different types of knots, my need to define knots by an essential structure and then further grouping them into families smudges the lines between knot types. For instance, at the beginning of ABoK, Ashley makes an example of the sheet bend vs the weaver's knot which have the same structure but are commonly tied in different materials under different circumstances and defines them, therefore, as different knots. This is exactly counter to my world view on knots. Having said that, this jargon if often used in the names of practical knots, so it is useful to know. The bulk of the terminology in this section comes from sailing traditions.
One thing to distinguish between sailing knots and Asian decorative knots is that sailing knots and sennits were often created by unravelling the plies of the cordage to give multiple strands with which to tie the knot, then the free ends were restored or spliced back to a single piece of cordage. Cordage for Asian decorative knots is basically never divided once constructed. Knots, in a sailing context, that might be tied with multiple cords or strands unravelled from a cord could, in an Asian decorative context, also be tied from multiple cords or multiple segments of a single cord.
| Knot | a deliberate complication in cordage. An accidental complication would be a tangle, but particularly stubborn tangles are often considered knots. 🤓 |
|---|---|
| Hitch | a knot that binds the cord to or around an object |
| Bend | a knot that joins two cords |
| Stopper Knot Terminal Knot |
a knot formation tied at the end of a rope |
| Lanyard Knot | like a Stopper Knot, but tied in the middle of a rope Most Asian decorative knots are lanyard knots where 2 strands (usually 2 sides of the same cord folded in half) enter the knot (or form a loose end ear) and 2 strands exit the knot (or form another loose end ear). |
| Inline | When there is only 1 entering and 1 exiting cord and those cords are on opposite sides of the knot, it is an inline knot (eg. the Creeper knot) |
| Slipped | if, in the last step of construction, a bight instead of the working end is pulled through the knot, usually so that it will be easier to undo, it is a slipped knot. |
| Tied in the Bight | if, instead of a working cord end, a knot is tied with a working bight along with paired standing ends instead then that knot is tied in the bight. |
| Mat | Many Asian decorative knots have a front and back layer (eg. the Round Brocade knot or the Plafond knot) whereas a Mat Knot has but a single layer (eg. the Double Coin family of knots) |
| Braid | Normally braids are not considered to be knots, after all, they are obliquely interlaced strands that like to unravel themselves if you let go before binding the ends. However, there is a great deal of intersection of interest and materials even before getting to Closed Braid Knots. |
| Sennit Sinnet |
a knot or sequence of knots tied in series to create a knotted braid or band. |