When the Bight Progression is Not adjacent

In the earlier lesson the knots have all had a bight progression that was adjacent but this is not always the case. Often with knots with an odd number of bights the early wraps are not adjacent and skip one or more parts as they go around the knot. This can be an advantage as in the case of "quick start knots". These two knots are examples of how to handle this situation.

5 parts X 7 bights

If we evaluate this knot with our formula P/B=N+R as 5/7=0+5 we discover two things. First N=0 so the first wrap is a free run (does not cross itself). Also the clockwise bight progression R is 5 as expected. If we use B-R to find the counerclockwise bight progression we find it to be 2 pins. This is probably the most useful in our inspection process of braiding this knot. Notice in the template the second wrap parallels the first one part counterclockwise from the first. This leaves an intervening space that will be filled in later in the braid sequence. Also the second half of the second wrap finally crosses the first wrap. since it is one space away from a braid entry point it will be over instead of under for convential coding.

The third wrap follows a similar path from the lower pin 4 - crossing wrap one just above a braid entry with an over to upper pin 6 and back down to lower pin 2 crossing wrap two at one part past a braid entry with an over and the first wrap at a braid exit with an over to lower pin2. As long as you know the braid entry and exit conditions for conventional coding (enter under and exit over for odd parts) these crossings are obvious from a visual inspection as you braid. From this point on we will pass adjacent to the part in a counterclockwise direction and we can use our usual method of crossing previously crossed parts with an opposite crossing and proper braid exit and entry to complete the knot.

When you braid this knot you may notice that there is not an under crossing by the running end until the second half of the fifth wrap where a braid entry is encountered at the top of the knot as you leave upper pin 2 and start back down. In fact this is what I chose to call a "quick start" knot in that the first four and one-half wraps can be placed by taking the proper bight increment (number of parts ) from pin to pin and passing over every part crossing. It is a characteristic of any odd part knot with a bight progression of two pins in either direction can be started this way with the case of a bight progression of two in a clockwise direction done in this manner will reverse the coding of the knot. ( More about this in a later topic. )

11 parts X 7 bights

This knot is a good example of the utility of the pinned mandrel. By P/B=N+R (11/7=1+4) we see that the first wrap cross itself in the second half one time and end four pins past the start crossing under the standing end because R is an even number (for conventional coding). This is almost half way around the bottom pin bight count from the start. This results in a very open structure for the key first wrap. It requires some careful space counting from the first wrap to place the second wrap to determine the crossings of the first wrap and itself but you can see from the template that the sequence is from lower pin 5 - under to upper pin 3 - under -under - over - to lower pin 2. From this point on each succeding wrap falls adjacent to the one to the right and we can use the usual method of contrary crossing of previously crossed parts and braid exit and entry conventions to complete the knot. This knot is a good foundation for a two color pineapple interweave with five color bands which can not be done with a six bight knot.