Welcome to the International Guild of Knot Tyers

International Guild of Knot Tyers

International Branches

Update on a completely new IGKT Forum

As many of you are aware, we have had several problems with allowing new membership of the old IGKT Forum.

We’re extremely sorry for the long delay in solving these problems. Thanks to a generous and talented member, we are now in the process of designing a completely new forum which will include all the many thousand posts from the previous versions and will be freely open to all.

As you can imagine, this is not a trivial task and it won’t be completed for some months. Please bear with us whilst this major work is carried out. In the meantime, please join the 10,000 contributors to our Facebook page

 Official International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT),

https://www.facebook.com/groups/565124130767508

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, lace-makers, farmers, miners, knitters and mathematicians. Membership is open to anyone interested in knotting, ropes, cords and yarn (whether expert or simply hoping to learn from others).

We celebrated our fortieth anniversary in 2022 and have now produced over 160 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.

Issues of Knotting Matters 1 - 160 are readable online here. The issues from the latest 12 months are only available to members.

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, and there are national organisations in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and North America (IGKTNA and two informal branches on the Pacific coast and Alaska). Non-English-speaking knotters can join their national organisations without needing to join IGKT.

Latest News


Books on Knots

IGKT publishes a number of books on knotting and also sells a few other books on related subjects which are not easily available. These are distributed by our sales volunteer, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and are catalogued here.

Forthcoming Special Events

For your diary: IGKT AGM & Exhibition 2025

For 2025 we will be the guests of the Chatham Historic Dockyard, Chatham, ME4 4TZ, UK with its wonderful 346 m (1,135 ft) long operational ropewalk. The dates are Thursday 8th - Saturday 11th May. The AGM will be a hybrid Zoom meeting at 7pm UK time (18:00 UTC) on Friday 9th May. Details will accompany the end-of-year issue of Knotting Matters (No 165) and are also available as a download here.

We realise that many people will not be able to make all the days at Chatham, but day visitors are assured of a friendly welcome - but do, please, let us know in advance that you are coming


Permanent home for IGKT Library Books

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 or contact the secretary This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We really would like to give some money away to suitable applicants, so do give it your serious thought. Non-member applications are also given serious consideration.

Netherlands Branch Meeting - Dordrecht

01-02-2025 10:00 am -4:00 pm

Netherlands Branch meeting - first Saturday of each month (except December) in the Binnenvaart Museum

Contact - André van der Salm This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel: +31 (0) 625 067 174

IGKT Australia

05-02-2025 9:00 am - 10-06-2024 9:00 pm

IGKT Australia Meeting

 

This meeting is being held whilst the Australian Wooden Boat Festival is being held in Hobart.

It should be a great time.

Contact bThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details.

 

Solent Branch Meeting - UK

11-02-2025 7:00 pm -10:00 pm

Contact: Chris Jenkins  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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