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Pyramid knots. The 3-bight Pyramid knot The inspiration for making Pyramid Knots came from two IGKT members, one is from France, Luc Prouveur, and the other from USA, Don Burrhus. It could be handy to read their articles as well. Because of the length of the article it is probably divided over a series of Knotting Matters. In making the knots, we need a lot of rope, thick paper (cardboard), the tubes from Don Burrhus, or your homemade tubes (roll and pins) and a couple of pins and patience. The size of the pyramids is described from small (3) to large (8), by the N° of bights on each side. The 3 bight pyramid knot is explained in Dons Burrhus book as the 63 facets (63apn) knot. You can make the knot on your hand, as described in Knotting Matters N° 98, and in Le SAC de Noeuds N° 3. by Luc Prouveur. In case you prefer a tube and pins, then follow the descriptions from Don Burrhus. If you follow the rules it is clear you can make a nice sphere covering over a ball. Put 3 pins b, c, d in the upper part of a tube, at each of the three bights. Put 3 pins e, f, g in the lower part of a tube, at each of the three bights, just with a little space under the d. The coding is as followed: 1) B1 → E3 2) E3 → C1 3) C1 → F3 4) F3 → D1 5) D1 → G3 6) G3 → B2 7) B2 → E1 8) E1 → C2 9) C2 → F1 10) F1 → D2 11) D2 → G1 12) G1 →B3 13) B3 → E2 14) E2 → C3 15) C3 → F2 16) F2 → D3 17) D3 → G2 18) G2 →B1

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How to transform the sphere covering to a pyramid covering? Make from cardboard an even 3 sided pyramid of 6 cm, each side. Stick according to the photo a yellow pin in one of the top bights, a white pin in on of the Lower bights. Put 3 red pins in the top row, in the most inner side of the upper bights. Put 3 blue pin in lower row on the most inner side of the lower bights. See fig…. Bring the knot from the tube over the top of your home made cardboard pyramid, in such a way that white pin is in the centre of the base of the pyramid, the blue pins are in corners of the base of the pyramid, the red pins are in the middle centre of the standing part of the pyramid and the yellow pin forms the top of the pyramid. Take out all the slack rope, carefully. Don’t pull too hard. In doubling or tripling you will absorb some of the slack you had before, specially in the centres. The result is a beautiful 3 bight pyramid knot, see photo…

The 4-bight Pyramid Knot. Having made the 3-bight Pyramid Knot, how to make the bigger 4-bight one. It would be a challenge to make the knot on your (big) hands by Luc’s method. If this challenge is too much, look at the 108 facet knot described by Don Burrhus. If you follow the above instructions the result is a bigger pyramid with 4 bights on each of its rib. Use a tube and make marks for 3 bights, N° 1, 2 and 3. Put 4 pins a, b, c, d in the upper part of a tube at each of the three bights. Put 4 pins e, f, g, h in the lower part of a tube, at each of the three bights, just with a little space under the d. The coding for 108 facets is as followed:

1) A1 → G3 2) G3 → B2 3) B2 → H1 4) H1 → C3 5) C3 → E1 6) E1 → D2 7) D2 → F3 8) F3 → A2 9) A2 → G1 10) G1 → B3 11) B3 → H2 12) H2 →C1 13) C1 → E2 14) E2 → D3 15) D3 → F1 16) F1 → A3 17) A3 → G2 18) G2 → B1 19) B1→ H3 20) H3 → C2 21) C2 → E3 22) E3 → D1 23) D1 →F2 24) F2 →A1

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How to transform the sphere covering to a pyramid covering? Make from cardboard an even 3 sided pyramid of 7 cm, each side. Stick according to the photo a yellow pin in one of the top bights, a white pin in on of the Lower bights. Put 3 red pins in the top row, in the most inner side of the upper bights. Put 3 blue pin in lower row on the most inner side of the lower bights. See fig….

Follow the other instructions described in the 3 bight pyramid knot to finish the knot.

The 5-bight Pyramid Knot. I think that from this point you need the tube method for making 5 to 8 bight pyramid knots. In the standard knot tool box from Don you will have a tube with 3 or 4 bights and under each bight 4 pin in the upper part and 4 pins on the lower side. To make these big pyramid knots you need a 3 bight big tube, with 8 pins up and 8 pins down the bight. You can order such a tube by Don Burrhus or try to make your own with cardboard tube and the according pins. I will give you a drawing and a description, N° are a to e (upper side) s to z (lower side). The bights are numbered as N° 1, 2 and 3. The + mark is to clear that your ropes enters the next series of crossings. 1) A1 → S3 FREE RUN 2) S3 → B1 FREE RUN 3) B1 → T3 FREE RUN FREE RUN 4) T3 → C1 5) C1 → U3 FREE RUN 6) U3 → D1 FREE RUN 7) D1 → V3 FREE RUN 8) V3 → E1 FREE RUN 9) E1 → W3 FREE RUN 10) W3 → A2 OUOUO 11) A2 → S1 UOUOU UOUOU 12) S1 → B2 13) B2 → T1 OUOUO 14) T1 → C2 OUOUO 15) C2 → U1 UOUOU 16) U1 → D2 UOUOU OUOUO 17) D2 → V1 18) V1 → E2 OUOUO 19) E2 → W1 UOUOU 20) W1 → A3 UOUOU +OUOUO 21) A3 → S2 OUOUO +UOUOU OUOUO +UOUOU 21) S2 → B3 22) B3 → T2 UOUOU +OUOUO 23) T2 → C3 UOUOU +OUOUO 24) C3 → U2 OUOUO +UOUOU 25) U 2 → D3 OUOUO +UOUOU 26) D3 → V2 UOUOU +OUOUO 27) V2 → E3 UOUOU +OUOUO 28) E3 → W2 OUOUO +U OUOU 29) W2 → A1 OUOUO +UOUOU +OUOUO If you have done all runs, put the pins in the top and on the inside of upper and lower inside bights and one at the bottom bight. Follow the normal instructions as done in the 3 and 4 bight pyramid. For an indication of sizes. If the carton is 12 cm each side, and a 2 mm rope

are used, for one full circle a 5 a 6 metres rope is needed. For tripling a 16 m will be necessary.

The 6-bight Pyramid Knot For the 6 bight Pyramid Knot we need a tube, with 3 bights and for each bight we need 6 pins on the upper half of a tube ( A to F ) and 6 pins in the lower half ( S to X). I have made a grid a with runs you will be able to make the first full circle round. After realizing the grid on the tube, put it on the home made pyramid as told before.

1) A1 → S3 2) S3 → B1 3) B1 → T3 4) T3 → C1 5) C1 → U3 6) U3 → D1 7) D1 → V3 8) V3 → E1 9) E1 → W3 10) W3 → F1 11) F1 → X3 12) X3 → A2 13) A2 → S1 14) S1 → B2 15) B2 → T1 16) T1 → C2 17) C2 → U1 18) U1 → D2 19) D2 → V1 20) V1 → E 2 21) E 2 → W1 22) W1 → F2 23) F2 → X1 24) X1 → A3 24) A3 → S2 25) S2 → B3 26) B3 → T2 27) T2 → C3 28) C3 → U2 29) U2 → D3 30) D3 → V2 31) V2 → E3 32) E3 → W2 33) W2 → F3 34) F3 → X2 35) X2 → A1

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On the photo you see a yellow pyramid with 6 bights on each rib.

The 8-bight Pyramid Knot For the 8 bight Pyramid Knot we need a tube, with 3 bights and for each bight we need 8 pins on the upper half of a tube ( A to H ) and 6 pins in the lower half ( S to Z). I have made a grid a with runs you will be able to make the first full circle round. After realizing the grid on the tube, put it on the home made pyramid as told before.

1) A1 → S3 2) S3 → B1 3) B1 → T3 4) T3 → C1 5) C1 → U3 6) U3 → D1 7) D1 → V3 8) V3 → E1 9) E1 → W3 10) W3 → F1 11) F1 → X3 12) X3 → G1 13) G1 → Y3 14) Y3 → H1 15) H1 → Z3 16) Z3 → A2 17) A2 → S1 18) S1 → B2 19) B2 → T1 20) T1 → C 2 21) C 2 → U1 22) U1 → D2 23) D2 → V1 24) V1 → E2 24) E2 → W1 25) W1 → F2 26) F2 → X1 27) X1 → G2 28) G2 → Y1 29) Y1 → H2 30) H2 → Z1 31) Z1 → A3 32) A3 → S2 33) S2 → B3 34) B3 → T2 35) T2 → C3 36) C3 → U2 37) U2 → D3

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38) D3 → V2 39) V2 → E3 40) E3 → W2 41) W2 → F3 42) F3 → X2 43) X2 → G3 44) G3 → Y2 45) Y2 → H3 46) H3 → Z2 47) Z2 → A1

UOUOUOUO UOUOUOUO OUOUOUOU OU OUOUOU UOUOUOUO UOUOUOUO OUOUOUOU OUOUOUOU UOUOUOUO UOUOUOUO

+UOUOUOUO + UOUOUOUO +OUOUOUOU +OUOUOUOU +UOUOUOUO +UOUOUOUO + OUOUOUOU + OUOUOUOU + UOUOUOUO + UOUOUOUO + UOUOUOUO

On the photo you see the yellow pyramid with 8 bights on each side. If you study the drawings you can make the run coordinates for a 7 bight pyramid knot. For any question or suggestions feel free to make an email to [email protected]