Owen and his dad Dave made this rope grommet and then soaked it in the water for a short time to stiffen it up.
Grommets are round, endless rings of rope useful in a myriad ways aboard ship as well as ashore. They are often used as handles for chests, for rings with which to play quoits, to lengthen rope, and in many similar ways.
The grommet is formed of a single strand of rope five times as long as the circumference of the grommet when complete.
Steps
- Follow the image above for each of the steps. The original image is from a book running sequentially, hence the unusual numbering but it was thought easiest to stick with this numbering for clarity.
- Take the strand and lay one end across the other at the size of loop required and with the long end follow the grooves or “lay” of the strand until back to where you started (Fig. 84), thus forming a two-stranded ring.
- Continue twisting the free end between the turns already made until the three-strand ring is complete (Fig. 85).
- Finish and secure the ends by making overhand knots, pass the ends underneath the nearest strands and trim ends off close (Fig. 86). If care is taken and you remember to keep a strong twist on the strand while “laying up” the grommet, the finished ring will be as firm and smooth and endless as the original rope.
Good Morning Gloucester 