Concentrating on this year's Hart Square net making project.

As is typical, David began this year's project in advance, hand-making from 1.5mm hemp (Romania) the selvage cord (knotted into the net during construction to add significant edge strength), draw-cord, and tie off cord - using an ancient Indian technique that utilizes a paddle and peg to make a tight two-ply spin, before folding the cordage back on itself and finishing with a four-ply cord. The paddle is hand-carved poplar, and the peg which spins the paddle, which puts the needed twist in the cordage, is hand-carved cherry.

All rope ends will be whipped with 1mm hemp, and the draw-cord will have a bead added at the join; most likely hand-carved soapstone local to Catawba County.

One eye on the visitor and one eye on the work, which never stops.

This year's net is 6 1/2' wide and is planned to be 8' long. The capacity will be significant. With a hand-carved 5/8" mesh gauge (carved from a branch of a Mulberry tree that I planted as a sapling), the net is 85 mesh (knots) wide, and is expected to be approximately 105 mesh long; approximately 9,000 knots. The body of the net is made from 1mm hemp (Hungary). Total project time is estimated at 75 hours for this net.

Tools of the trade.

Though he has carved several, David does not generally use a traditional netting shuttle, but has carved a double-open-end (open-feed) weaver's shuttle. The shuttle is carved from 'store bought' pine wood stock, and is not entirely handmade. He has several, but is using an 18" shuttle for this project (20" total length).

All one needs is fiber (hemp, linen, jute.....), mesh gauge, and shuttle. Even the mesh gauge is optional. One could use their fingers as a gauge, or even just eye-ball the mesh size. Though one can buy a fancy net making stand, you can see that tying off onto a porch post works just fine. The chair is generally used only at home for short sessions. The wooden front rail is a pressure point that becomes a bit painful after hours of non-stop work. David almost always uses a hay or straw bale for his 'chair' at demonstrations. The lack of hard pressure points allows for all day work with no ill effect. This chair was a 'derelict', bought for nearly nothing and given a new seat by my other son, Jeff. He uses traditional chair caning techniques. In this case, the seat is made of paper-fiber rush, which is then 'painted' with glue. The glue painting gives the fiber rush a nice finish and long lasting strength.

Close-view of gauge and shuttle creating next mesh.

This shuttle has split lengthwise more than once from each end (following the grain). He has gently prodded open the splits, lightly sanded away old glue residue from previous repairs, and re-glued the split length. This shuttle is at least ten years old, and has not needed a repair in three or four years. The last successful gluing has probably made the vertical grain in the weakest points of each end stronger than when first carved. If not immediately attended to, a split with the grain would crack the shuttle down the full length almost immediately. With proper care, it will still be young in life span ten years from now. Given the number of hours spent making the shuttle (even with store-bought wood stock), it is safe to say that it will continue to receive the best of care. When people make things for themselves, they learn right quick the value of caring for their work.

A view from the porch.