Before there were fancy kites that flew a hundred feet in the air, there was the shopping bag kite. This kite requires a pole, a five foot string, and a shopping bag. One fastens the string to the top of the pole with one turn and two half hitches. Forming a small loop with the two shopping bag handles, one then tyes a sheet bend with the other end of the string. Voila, the shopping bag kite. Before long, in the spirit of bigger and better things, two shopping bags are used for even more dynamic action. Wave this kite about and feel the drag as the bags burst full open with static air pressure. Or simply hold steady in the wind.
Early Kite Development
November 11th, 2008Knots and Kites
November 10th, 2008After many failed attempts to fly an on-sale Walmart box kite, our oldest son is eager to build one that really works. And after some examination, we discovered why the Walmart box kit design failed:
No Knots!
Well no wonder it didn’t work! How can you make a kite without learning the critical skill of knot tying? O.k., so there are other design issues with this kite. But really, no knots?! Come on!
So with the failure of this store-bought toy, we’ll be starting an entire series here at Knot4Fun’s Knot blog on handmade kites and knots!
Stay tuned!
Setting Up a Quick Shelter
November 3rd, 2008
When spending a night out of doors, the most important consideration is remaining dry while you sleep through the night. Except in high wind or heavy snow, you will be well served by setting up a lean-to shelter. Using any water repellent sheet or tarp, erect two corners 2-4 feet above the ground, and two corners near the ground. If the sheet is big enough, double up half the sheet as a floor. At the left is an illustration of a lean-to with a floor, which will add significantly to your comfort. The two knots that you will need to know for this project is the taut line hitch (rolling hitch) and a round turn and two half hitches.
At the right is an example of a lower corner of the shelter connected with a taut line hitch to a small sapling. After the hitch is tyed, the user can then tighten this cord. The other end of the cord will be tyed with around turn and two half hitches.
Two half hitches are fast to tye and easy to untye. It is one of those knots that are handy whenever you have no extra slack on the working side of the rope. The only thing more important than knowing this knot, and how to use it, is to actually have rope or twine available when you need it. Carry some with you at all times! It is amazing how useful seven feet of rope can be.
Some of the things from which you can make a shelter:
Shower curtain
Tarp Poncho
Sheet Raincoat
You never know when you might be stuck outdoors for the night and need to know how to erect one of these shelters. Go outside and try out this project.
History of Rope in the U.S.A. Part 5
October 17th, 2008Here’s the final episode in Hooven Allison’s Hearts & Stars.
Now you are a virtual expert in ropemaking in the U.S.A.!!
History of Rope in the U.S.A. Part 4
October 16th, 2008And Part 4 of Hearts & Stars by Hooven Allison:
Tune in for the final episode tomorrow!
History of Rope in the U.S.A. Part 3
October 15th, 2008Part 3 of the History of Rope by Hooven Allison.
Hearts & Stars Part 3
Tune in tomorrow for Part 4.
History of Rope in the U.S.A. Part 2
October 14th, 2008Here is the second movie produced by Hooven Allison on the history of rope making in the United States.
Hearts & Stars Part 2
Stay tuned for part 3 tomorrow.
History of Rope in the U.S.A.
October 13th, 2008The history of rope in the United States is truly interesting. Take a look at these old movies produced by Hooven Allison.
Hearts & Stars Part 1
There are quite a few of these so we’ll post one part of the series each day this week.
Instant Hammock
October 10th, 2008Here’s a simple hammock you can make with a couple lengths of rope and a very large blanket or old drapes.
The knot Mr. Anderson makes in the drapes is an Overhand Knot.
We did make this ourselves and can say that a twin size sheet is waaaay too small. Try it with a king sized sheet or the recommended drapes. Very simple and very cool!
8 Reasons to Teach Children Knot Tying
October 9th, 2008Knot tying might seem like an antiquated skill. Perhaps a “nice-to-have” skill but not really worthwhile. Not so! As with any practical work done with the hands, there are many reasons to teach yo
ur child to tie knots.
Here are eight excellent reasons to teach knot tying:
- To develop hand-eye coordination. And no annoying and expensive video games.
- To develop concentration. Unlike those annoying kids’ TV shows.
- To develop perseverance. Stop the frustration.
- To develop spatial aptitude. Critical brain and eye development.
- To develop creativity.
- To develop the ability to follow instructions.
- To improve dexterity. Perhaps even improve handwriting ability!
- To learn a practical skill.
Need help teaching these skills to your child?
Get a copy of our book, Why Not Knot for Fun?! A kid friendly guide to knots and adventure. Available now!
The book even includes a length of rope so your child can get started developing these critical skills right away.
