Rope Bight

Several weeks ago as I was driving to the pizza place to pick up dinner, I was talking to my pet on the phone (we have a ritual, whereby if I’m going to get dinner out, she messages “Shotgun!” and I call her later so she can come along for the ride) and as our usual the topics go all over the place, though that night for the most part it was about the impending disaster happening in Washington with the bill that’s going to radically change a lot of things here in the US.

One of the things that she mentioned wanting to do was start a rope collaboration. Remotely. Which will pay dividends in the long run, when we’re able to be together on a visit I don’t have to spend a large amount of time learning ties, knots and other ways around rope.

Over the last several months, she’s been bitten heavily by the rope bug. To the point that she’s sent me several suggestions of rope colors that she’s wanted to get, so I’ve stoked the fires of her interest and provided her with the tools that she’s needed to learn and grow. Even to the point of getting her a mannequin to tie with, since finding a corporeal model is so difficult. Mannequins don’t have personalities. (Hollywood notwithstanding)

She’s immersed herself in it so much that her rope collection has already exceeded mine. And she’s been invited several times to local rope jams, and other people’s houses to participate in rope workshops to further her knowledge, be more comfortable in the form and add to her experience. As you can see from the pictures, she’s been working on her knot structure and it’s really coming along. Even when I was just starting out with some books, I had the same issues with finding someone to work with, and I ended up using the usual offerings to work with that were suggested (chair, pillow, etc.) The few times that I had a human to work with were very nice, since a static model doesn’t have give or tends not to move around all that much. (Really, how many sentient chairs do you know?)

For the most part, we’ve both used nylon/MFP rope for working with, since we’re just tying for fun, not anything very strenuous and certainly not attempting suspension, since neither of us have any experience with that. Perhaps in time after we’ve done a good amount of research, a bit of trial and error with a good amount of padding underneath in case there’s an unexpected failure of equipment or expertise. I remember watching Insex way back in the day and there was always a warning saying “These are trained professionals, do NOT attempt this on your own.” Well, how do you get to be a professional at anything? Practice.

I’d say she’s doing pretty good.