Sail Away

Ocean Plait Rope Mat

The Ocean Plait Mat is woven from rope.  It is also known as a Sailor's True Love Mat, a Ladder Mat or a Prolong Knot!  Traditionally used by Sailor's, it is considered an ancient form of knot tying with a Celtic influence.  Marine rope was (and still is) used to weave hard wearing, decorative mats.  Rope mats are often a common feature on sailing boats or nautical themed decor.   Although any type of thick gauge rope can be used, braided ropes are a good choice for a softer, more luxurious result. 

I decided it would be fun to have a shot at weaving the longer version of the Ocean Plait using the "Prolong Knot."
Braided poly rope: 30 metres of black and 30 metres of green; 

Outline: I used pegs to hold the first round together!:

Progress:

After 4 rounds I didn't have any green left, so started with the black outline:

Finished!  Although, I still need to secure the ends... was thinking a hot glue gun would be the best way to do this.  It's about 35 by 88cm and I used about 50 metres of the rope in the end:

Overall, it took roughly 15 hours to make.  It was actually quite tricky to get the knot right, so I had to start it a few times! Getting the tension even and the sizing right is also tricky.

Cheep Cheeep!!!

I've also finished the large birdy on my Spirit of Flight Diamond Painting!
Before & After:

Happy Stitching! xxx