Overhand Knot Rings
Categories: Products; Jewelry
Word count/read time: 345 words; 1-1/2 minutes
Long before metal wire came into existence we relied upon our textile counterparts.
The origin of rope traces back some 30,000 years ago with plant materials and animal skin (leather)
and continues evolving to this day with tech-driven versions that can stop bullets.
The first wires were made of precious metals and used in jewelry and the like, dating back several millennia.
This hasn't gone away - if anything they have progressed significantly. Our daily lives critically depend
upon wire. It is essential for anything electrical, electronic, and to a lesser degree, structural
components.
I make my own wire (silver, gold, and copper with others coming as I explore more materials).
It is less complex than one might think as it only requires a drawplate and means to pull wire through
it. I made several machines to help with the task since I literally have drawn miles and miles
of wire.
Stealing rope-working techniques like knotting and weaving to use in metalworking
is a staple of creativity. I'm far from the first to delve into this unique
hybridized process and probably won't ever create something "unique"
though it is interesting to see how various aspects can be implemented into jewelry making.
Take the simplest knot, the overhand knot, and see what can be done. It can be tied left-over-right
or vice versa (mirror images of each other). Two of them can be combined at the knot or outside
of the knot. The strands can be doubled or tripled. So can the knots. They make excellent
yet simple rings.
There are hundreds of knots and similar rope-joining methods but not all are suitable for metal.
Likewise, there are numerous weaving styles (crochet, knitting, plaits) that can be adopted
in a limited manner with metal. Ornamental or structural, not all of them are pretty or
cost-effective.
So my knotwork jewelry is mainly in the form of rings. There are
overhand (single and double),
figure eight (infinity),
sailor's (square),
and
infinity sailor's
to start with. I do plan on weaving some fabrics or imitations thereof so keep your eyes peeled!
Posted by M: October 22, 2025
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