I think you're teasing, Derek! I'll bet you've been tying them with your eyes closed for years.
Seriously, I wasn't sure if the resolution was good enough, or indeed whether the instructions were clear enough. I was waiting for a little feedback before I moved on to the next knot (diamond knot).
snip.....
Thanks for the feedback.
Phil
No tease Phill, I don't tie decoratives, and until your video, the only fancy I could tie (with my eyes closed) was the Chinese button knot. My good lady would be much happier if I tied something productive or useful, but my interests are in structure, stability and strength and I produce little more than copious diagrams and reams of variants of the same basic knot structure -- AKA 'Really BORING stuff.
I had not appreciated that the MWK was nothing more than a stack of interlocked OH knots. Knowing that, I can now tie any number of strands into a MWK, in fact, I hadn't realised it, but I have been tying a two strand MWK for some time now -- it's one of my favorite bends. If I now need to bend two cords to one, I might in future use a three strand MWK to do it, then there is the two strand MWK Loop - Oh Heaven - when all at once I saw a crowd, a host, of tangled knotty bits....
Anyway, to your question re resolution and clarity. Yes, the resolution was a little jpeggy, and the odd arm between camera and knot blocked the view once, but generally, the resolution was quite adequate and the fact that I can now tie the MWK is testament to this. However, there are a couple of comments I would make that might make the video a little better. Don't forget that you know how to tie this knot and the viewer does not. So when the end goes through the loop, to the viewer, that is all that happens. You gave the almost throwaway instruction that the line goes UNDER the previous lines. This was easy to miss (first time I did miss it and tied a very novel creation). When there are key steps like this, either stress them or go in closer so the student cannot miss where the cord goes. Second, dressing. Instead of fiddling and squeezing the knot into form, explain that sometimes the lines might cross and lay in the wrong 'slot', show an example and show how to tease the line into its right position. Finally, twist. In some cords, twist can kill a knot and the MWK is no exception. If the cord resists twists, then explain the importance of feeding the cord through the knot, then laying out any undesirable twist BEFORE starting to dress up the knot. Once you have tightened in a kink, the job is buggered, best to understand the need to manage twist as you are tying.
See -- although it is only an ornamental, there is a chance to teach some real knotting while you are at it
Apart from that, I am looking forward to Part 2
Derek
