Looking for instructions (Hammock)

[Transminator]

Hi

I have just completed my first rope hammock, following the instructions in Stuart Grainger's "Creative Ropecraft".
I made it with materials other (silly) people have thrown away (seriously, who throws away rope that is not broken?). Anyway, the end result, though it fills me with some bride as I did it all by myself, does not look like a show-piece. But hey, its my first one and it is good enough for camping or in the garden. Basically it is a rope frame with some kind of netting in the middle (I used the double overhand netting) and two wooden stretchers. 

This type of Hammock is a very simply design and therefore well worth learning and doing, but my final goal is to be able to produce a nice, traditional rope Hammock. I am missing some elements though.
Please have a look at the attached photos and let me know what knots/weaves are used here and where I can find instructions for them.
Can anybody help?

[DEE]

ABOK has hammock info on P580.
I have a book of full instructions for the woven [not knotted] hammock. I'll dig it out and scan it to you later if you like. D

[DEE]

Four(4) pages ready. Pse e-mail me if you want copies of my copies. They are copies of copies, passed to me by a friend back in our old Navy days. They are from a book "Great Craft Projects of the Year" and I have no idea on copyright. PTYFNA. D

[skyout]

Lot of info here on Dan Alaska's site, type in "hammock" and hit enter:
http://pineapple.myfunforum.org/search.php?mode=results
The bottom link in the list has a nice instructional diagram from Nautile at KHWW for a clew.

[DEE]

The machine is telling me that the file [one(1) page only] is too large. Same problem I always have when trying to put attachments on a msg. D

[Knot Head]

Try uploading them to a free file host like rapidshare.com and send the link by email.

Brian...

[DEE]

I'm sorry but I have no idea what that means. D

[asemery]

This site is in Spanish but the pictures can be followed.  Also a link to youtube.  Nice clew by the way.  Tony
http://www.mimecanicapopular.com/verhaga.php?n=133

[Transminator]

Hi Folks

Thank you so much for all the replies.

The clew (so that is what they call the triangular bit at the top) is shown below and I think I figured out how to weave the bed by just looking at it closely (and paying attention to the "how its made - Hammocks" - Video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKqd3sEvmoc). Basically it is going up through the loops in one direction, down through the loops in the other direction so that they interlink.
The side rope is tied into what JD calls the Caterpillar Sennit (I am sure there is another term for it) [Edit: its the Drummer Boy's Plait, isn't it]
found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QImm5vkf8To
and once the bed is woven it can be attached to the rope ends that come out of the stretcher bar using bowlines e.g.

I think I have all the elements together now

Thanks for all the help so far.
But keep posting, if you have more ideas (also for other types of Hammocks) so this thread can turn into a knowledge base for "How to tie a Hammock".

Kai

[dewildeman]

Transminator,

It looks great, and it's even better with found materials!

[Transminator]

Transminator,

It looks great, and it's even better with found materials!

Hi dewildeman

The second picture I attached is not the hammock I made. That is what I want to be able to produce one day and the pictures show the knots and weaves that I was looking for.
Mine looks no where near it and I didn't even get round testing it yet.
But thanks for the compliments, its the thought that counts. 

Greetings

[Transminator]

Now that I figured out that this triangular bit on top is called a clew, I found more detailed instructions on how to do it:
http://www.free-macrame-patterns.com/clew-knot.html

And this page has a some more good information on materials and techniques:
http://www.stairropes.com/hammock.html
They make the clew in such a way that not ends but loops come out of it, which are threaded through the
stay. These loops then form the first row of the net. Great idea!

Further question:
If you decide to go for a traditional net for your hammock as they do at Stonk Knots, do we have experienced netters here
who can give tips on how to keep the the diamonds of the net neat and even?
On the page above they mention that they use the netting needle for that purpose. Does anyone know how that works exactly?

Thanks

[asemery]

The netting needle is the basic tool used to hold the twine being used.  A gauge is also used to keep the meshes you tie uniform in size. In Stonk Knots case they use the width of a needle as a gauge.  Check out the "Nets and Net Making" forum.
http://pineapple.myfunforum.org/index.php?c=7
    Here you will find sections for hammocks, tools of the trade, basic instructions, etc.  Tony

[Transminator]

Thanks Asemery

I had a good look around at the netting section of the pineapple forum and found loads of good tips and tricks of the trade.

As far as I understood, the gauge determines half the diameter of each diamond of the net or in other words, each diamond will be twice
the size of the gauge, is that correct?
(see diagram below)

[asemery]

Hello Transminator
  You are correct in your understanding.  Tony