New IGKT Forum
As many of you are aware, we have had several problems with allowing new membership of the old IGKT Forum.
The Trustees have decided to create a New Forum which will be available to members only. This is now available here at the New Forum. The New Forum content is able to be viewed by anyone but posting or commenting on items requires membership of IGKT.
All existing members should be able to access the new forum.
The Old IGKT Forum will be kept as an archive for its members who are currently able to use it and we will review the system during the next year to gauge its usage.
For non-members of IGKT, please also see our Facebook page, Official International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT), https://www.facebook.com/groups/565124130767508, which has several thousand users.
About the Guild
The International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT) is a very friendly association of people, whose interests are in ropes, knots and knotting techniques of all kinds.
We have about a thousand members world-wide from all walks of life including knitters, surgeons, sailors, climbers, anglers, scouters, magicians, farmers, miners and mathematicians. Membership is open to anyone interested in knotting, ropes, cords and yarn (whether expert or simply hoping to learn from others).
We’ve just celebrated our fortieth anniversary in 2022 and produced over 150 issues of our journal Knotting Matters. The journal contains news and ideas from all aspects of knotting and is full of useful and interesting articles, letters, queries and opinions.
There are active branches of IGKT around the world and we are always very happy when another group starts up. The UK has most of these (it is a small country which makes travelling to events fairly easy) at eight, USA has three and there are national organisations in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, German and Netherlands. Non-English-speaking knotters can join their national organisations without needing to join IGKT.
Latest News
Forthcoming Special Events
For your diary: IGKT AGM & Exhibition 2024
For 2024 we will be the guests of the National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool and the splendid ship HMS Trincomalee. The dates are Thursday 9th - Saturday 11th May. The AGM will be a hybrid Zoom meeting at 7pm UK time on Friday 10th May. Details accompany the forthcoming issue of Knotting Matters (no 161) and will also be available online after Dec 1st 2023.
Knotting Resource Archive
In July 2022 we arranged with the Brunel Institute, an organisation set up by the SS Great Britain Trust and the University of Bristol, England, to house our collection of knotting and ropework books in the Institute’s library. The collection consists of books the IGKT has amassed over it’s 40 years of operating, along with a considerably larger number of volumes from a founder member.
The Brunel Institute library is open daily to the public throughout the year and is free to visit. The cost of incorporating the books into the Institute’s library is being funded by a very generous donation from a member in the USA.
The Library have nearly finished the long task of adding the books to their database and, later in 2024, the titles will be searchable on the Brunel Institute’s website.
Here is a link to search most of the uploaded IGKT books.
George Hart Bursary
Thanks to the generosity of George, the IGKT has been able to set up a fund to provide funds for helping and encouraging members, especially younger members, to engage in an ‘extraordinary’ activity which involves knotting and the Guild. For full details please see the Member News section here.
West Country Knotters - UK
Contact: Richard Hopkins
Tel: +44 (0)1179 867 146
Venue: Woodhouse Park, Fernhill, Almondsbury, BS32 4LX.
Meetings usually take place at 13:00 on the last Saturday of January, March, May , July, September, and November. As the venue is not easy to find for the first time, please contact Richard beforehand for directions.
NB The November 2023 meeting has had to be moved to the following week and will be on 2nd December
Solent Branch Meeting - UK
Contact: Chris Jenkins
Tel: +44 (0)2392 601 779 http://igkt-solent.co.uk
Venue: Fareham Sailing and Motor Boat Club, Lower Quay, Fareham, Hampshire PO16 0RA
Meetings take place on the second Tuesday of even-numbered months
North West England - UK
Northwest Branch Meeting - UK
Contact: Ian Rogers
Convivial meetings are on the 3rd Saturday of each month at 12 noon in The George & Dragon, 67 High Street, Tarvin, CH3 8EE
All welcome!