Happy Christmas and all that but now for something completely different.

We wanted to do something un-Christmassy today and I think this one just about fills that requirement.

The tying of knots is a specialised skill - mainly because any books you see on the subject are usually filled with useless 2D drawings that don't illustrate techniques at all. It's something you really need need to be taught.

Here's a useful (if slightly dull) site that has rudimentary animated movies of countless knots being tied, and they're grouped together by activity too - so even if you don't know the name of the knot you're after, you should be able to find it.

So if you find yourself at a loose end (sorry), why not give a sheepshank a go. (Glad I checked with the lawyer before suggesting that one...)

www.animatedknots.com

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