MAKING THE 7X6 TURK'S HEAD KNOT USING THE MULE !!
(!...i make the 5x4 turk's head exactly as shown here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=...=DPSySaHzIoTOlQT6_YGvDg#PPA150,M1
...i usually make it on my finger and transfer it to the mandrel...after you have made a few it should only take a few seconds to make one!!)
...as you learn about pineapple type knots you will find that quite a few of these knots start out with the 7x6 turk's head knot...some folks simply memorize the 7x6 and can easily make them, but i find that i can make them very fast by simply expanding a 5x4 turk's head knot to a 7x6 using the "mule"...the "mule" is just a short piece of cord
used to keep your place while expanding turk's head knots...it is called a "clue" in ABOK...(expanding turk's head knots via the "mule" is Tom Hall's "enlargement
process #1 (Tom Hall doesn't use the "mule" but the process is the same!))
...to start to make the 7x6 turk's head knot you start out with a 5x4 on a mandrel and a mule!...
...the 5x4 turk's head is in most knot books...i make the 5x4 turk's head exactly as shown in these two books:
...you can get these books almost anywhere! (amazon.com...etc)
...(i make the 5x4 on my fingers and then i put it on the mandrel...they are not hard to
make once you have made a few!!!...it only takes a few seconds!...i know one knot tyer who makes these with his eyes closed!!)
...the working end follows the standing end for one width of the knot...this is called "making railroad tracks" or "making parallels"...*(you only go one width of the knot!...one big mistake that some folks make here is to continue on making the railroad tracks and then thinking that the "mule" will automatically split them and it doesn't work that way!!.....it works like this!: the working end goes one width...then the "mule" takes it's turn and goes one width!!! ( --- then the working end goes one width... then the mule....etc)...
...now the mule "splits the railroad tracks"..... (! just one width --and then it's the working end's turn!!)...
...now the working end will go under the mule... then over, under....etc...(the width of the knot)... ((!!...can you see where the mule will now go?!))
...the mule now goes under, over, etc...(the width of the knot!)...
...shown here is that now the working end will simply take the place of the mule!!...(keep in mind it will go under the last working end of the mule!!)...
...shown here is after you have replaced the mule (one width of the knot)...
...shown getting ready to replace the last width of the mule....
...taking it's place!...
...you have now finished and you have a 7x6 turk's head knot and are ready to make dozens of different pineapple type knots!!....
NOTE:....you can now expand the 7x6 to a 9x8 exactly the same way you just expanded the 5x4 to a 7x6.....i am not going to show that!!
...i think you know how to do it!!!....
...the 7x6 and 9x8 are both foundation knots for dozens (hundreds!) of these pineapple type knots....and all you have to remember to make them is the 5x4!!!...
below you'll see why mules are the good guys!!! ...the cat was looking to make the dogs his dinner....
...Dan Alaska
