Making 4-ply Cordage: Laid Cord vs Cabled Cord

[@ragnkja]

In Norwegian we have quite a few different words for cordage and rope. From thinnest to thickest we have at least these: hyssing, snor, tau and rep/reip. The last two have clear cognates in English: “tow” and “rope”.

[@SallyPointer]

Oh that's fascinating! Thank you for that

[@odetbeauvoisin]

A delightful, informative and inspiring wee video. Love it.

[@kleineroteHex]

Tau in german is a thick rope as well :) and the famous Reeperbahn used to be where the ropes "REEPS" were made.

[@ragnkja]

I just remembered two more: “line” (thinner than “tau”) and “trosse” (thicker than “tau”). “Line” is on the boundary between the English terms “cord” and “rope”; for example, paracord is called “fallskjermline” in Norwegian.

[@dragonmakr2159]

Back when I was learning to spin (I got some basic instruction and was sent off to play with fiber), I remember making a cabled four ply yarn, not really knowing what I was doing. Nice to have a name for it, all these years later! Sally, I really appreciate your presentation/teaching style. There really is no One True Way of doing these ancient crafts. I remember being told, "Oh, you can't ply on a drop spindle" and showing them the basket full of skeins I'd spun and plied with my spindle. Silly people!

[@luminalsaturn2]

Can’t ply on a - Th’ flippin’ ‘eck were those people *on*? Anything you can spin on, you can ply on. It’s just a matter of doubling up and spinning in the opposite direction!

[@dragonmakr2159]

@@luminalsaturn2 I know, right? So many gatekeepers out there.

[@lenabreijer1311]

Just what do they think people did 1000 years or more ago before spinning wheels?

[@catastrfy]

oh! back in the early 90s when i learnt whipcracking, i also learned to make replacement poppers (the skinny bit right at the tip) and a cable is what we made, using heavy duty carpet thread, but i didn’t have the word before. now 30 years on, i know it was a cable. thank you, sally!

[@DC-wt2vi]

A comment for your algorithm, and to say how much I enjoyed seeing you on the TV the other day applying cosmetics and explaining their history to an eminent historian. Sadly I am hamfisted when it comes to crafts (I find the topic of this video fascinating even so!), but I really do enjoy dipping in to your videos for inspiration about foraging and making food and drink from bothering my hedges 😊

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

You have a great teraching and presenting style, Sally. Thanks for that. I hope your health is on the up. So sorry for your losses.

[@elenavaccaro339]

Thank you for this instruction. Always willing and eager to learn more about how our ancestors were able to live and thrive.

[@ethanjamesgarcia3914]

I learned to make cordage for primitive uses. This video will be helpful for me. Thank you

[@lisascenic]

Oh my goodness! The evidence of early ropemaking is so exciting!

[@wyncaletha5195]

So nice to know the actual terminology. I never really knew what 'cable' meant before in terms of cordage and rope. This explains the structure of some rope that I saw on a visit to a historic ship as a small child that I've wondered about most of my life!

[@d4r4butler74]

Thank you! Looking forwards to the Braiding episode. I really love the differences in the ply.

[@annanelson6830]

So glad to see you again. I am going to try the 4 - ply cord.

[@witchways]

I always love seeing your videos go up! Thank you for making them.

[@juliajs1752]

I love spinning cabled yarns, and I'm looking forward to learning more in your next video! Thank you!

[@Tuntee]

I love these videos so much!

[@wetlandkeeper]

Thank you, Sally, for this video. I am looking forward to your next video.

[@mikkosnellman]

Nice video. Though as ropemaker I think that knowing the terminology helps to understand the process. What you made so elegantly in the video was actually S twisted yarns that you formed Z laid strands with. Strands that are laid together forms S laid rope (hawser), not cable. Cable is laid from 3 (or more) ropes. Sorry but these are things that I have to explain so often.

[@SallyPointer]

Thank you, that's very useful

[@d4r4butler74]

So if someone twisted up 3 (or more, but it would need more hands) different 2 ply cords and let them twist together that would form a Cable?

[@mikkosnellman]

@@d4r4butler74 No, that would be a 3 strand rope. Then if you would twist 3 ropes together, you would get a cable.

[@d4r4butler74]

@@mikkosnellman Thank You!

[@morganpresley496]

This was a very useful explanation! I love that you include archeological sources -- seeing evidence of these practices from tens of thousands of years ago fills me with awe for our early ancestors. I would love to see a future video showing how the Hohl Fels tool might have been used to make rope! The articles I found only said that archaeologists believed it was used for making rope and didn't explain the process.

[@SallyPointer]

It's definitely on my list of things to replicate and try out

[@morganpresley496]

@@SallyPointer Yay!! :D

[@rivergirlfishinfor24]

Loving this!! Can’t wait to try it this summer!

[@leehouten2345]

I love your videos Sally. Could you explain how you would work in cord for more length on the three and four ply using different methods of braiding please?

[@SallyPointer]

You can lay in across two strands just as you do with two ply, just add to whichever two strands need it most at that moment and it all evens out over a few additions

[@ko6el]

Hello Sally, always a treat to see you've posted, good you've had a restful Xmas and all good things to you for 2023 😘

[@thornhedge9639]

Always a delight: Thank you!

[@jillatherton4660]

Wonderful stuff, cabling is fun (z-twist to s-twist) and you got me started on nettle then bramble. TY Sally.

[@catherinewalks1207]

This is a really interesting series on cordage making, thank you!

[@glogglog4859]

As always informative and well presented

[@emmabroughton2039]

Another very interesting and informative video, thank you Sally. x

[@susanavenir]

Such wonderful videos - thank you, Sally!

[@faierieknotting]

Perfect and useful

[@sandraanderson217]

Thank you! The cabled 4 ply cord will definitely come in handy this spring when I get the garden set up. Love your videos ❤️

[@betula-pendula]

Thank you very much for those lovely crafts and videos. I'll try to make a lavender basket like you did (in an other video). (I hope it works 😊). Greetings

[@kleineroteHex]

you are amazing! Thanks for teaching!

[@TheGabygael]

As someone who's been growing their hair out to fiddle with it i'm understanding more and more now how i went from playing with dolls to playing with threads

[@FrauWNiemand]

So interesting. Also nice that you added some information on prehistorical research. I've heard that ninjas in Japan made realy sturdy cordage out of horse hair, maybe you can tell somethging about this. is there maybe also an evidence for cordage made from human hair?

[@pperrinuk]

For 2-ply laid cord, have you tried the thigh rolling technique rather than finger twiddling? Put the two strands a couple of inches apart at the top of your thigh, near your lap, put you hand to cover both strands, and then push your hand towards your knee, rolling twisting each of the strands in the process,as they get suitably twisted they wind themselves together (several wraps in one go, not just one)... this allows a significant amount of cord to be done very quickly. It takes a bit of practice for consistency and you need the right hand pressure and right fabric to roll against (not too slippy or they won't twist) - jeans generally work. But for blokes with hairy legs, do not do it on bare skin, or you'll be threading your thigh!

[@SallyPointer]

Yes indeed. I rarely teach that way though as it needs very specific textures to work well against, and most of my students are wearing clothes that don't easily help it. It's a really good technique though if you are in the right clothes or bare legged,

[@sherri-annchalmers7509]

Turns out string is fascinating 🧐

[@cloudsculptor1]

Brilliant Beautiful

[@kamaangirthearcher]

would this method have any benefit using hide/rawhide or leather cordage?

[@SallyPointer]

I think those are better braided myself

[@yonwife5879]

Thank you for sharing. I’m just getting to grips with 2ply. I missed 3ply. 4ply…….wowzers! What fibres are you using? Could I use nettles? I love your videos.

[@ragnkja]

I wouldn’t be surprised if the fibre used in the video _was_ nettle, as Sally Pointer has made quite a few videos about harvesting and processing nettles for fibre and cordage.

[@SallyPointer]

It's flax today, but nettle fibre works exactly the same way 🙂

[@yonwife5879]

@@SallyPointer thank you, I can’t get hold of flax, but have nettles in abundance here in Shetland.

[@Ego.monster]

When and where do we see rope waxed to improve strength and durability? I've made Flemish twist bow strings for years which is exactly the same process with a wax material. Just curious.

[@robertgross1655]

🎩Hi, what is the best way to tie off the ends of the cordage that you are making ?

[@SallyPointer]

Usually you don't need to, if you've got enough twist into the different elements it all locks together and you can cut it just as you would commercially made string. Sometimes a couple of twists unravel, but unless it's doing it a lot I wouldn't worry. If you like though you can knot the end or do a little whipping round it with fine threads to really stabilise it

[@Reziac]

My definition is that if I can easily tie a knot in it, it's cord, and if tying a knot is difficult, it's rope. :)

[@SallyPointer]

I really like that! I think I'll borrow it, it's as good a distinction as any 😆

[@the-nomad]

Oh come on! Let meget confidfent with three strand before setting the next challenge!!! What is next? 5 strand???? LOL ;-)

[@markedis5902]

When it’s thicker than your little finger it’s rope otherwise it’s cord.

[@skyem.g.3615]

Whose little finger?

[@ragnkja]

Given that finger thickness varies a lot (my thumb is thinner than some men’s little fingers), that’s not a very useful rule.