Blood Knot

15/10/2026

G’Day Folks,

I’m putting together a useful resources page on the Blood Knot website and would welcome your recommendations.

Who do you recommend for good knotting rope, tools and accessories, clear photo or video tutorials, helpful Facebook groups, and worthwhile knotting books? This is an afterthought but good reliable yarn suppliers would also be useful.

Small independent makers are particularly welcome, wherever they’re based. Paid tutorials are welcome too—good teaching deserves support.

Please include a link if possible, where they’re based, and a few words about why you recommend them. If they sell supplies, knowing whether they ship internationally would also help.

Additionally If you are a maker or supplier let me know via private message and we’ll but out the relevant details. I’m doing this as a public service so I don’t want anything for it, ie no strings.

Anything a knotter or ropemaker may find useful is worth considering.

Cheers,
Mark
Blood Knot

08/10/2026

G’day Folks,

Blood Knot’s new online shop is officially open!

A different interweb thingy, a fresh look and some new branding—but still me, making the same handmade hard-laid cordage for knotters.

You’ll notice a change from the old red logo to our new Blood Knot look. Still shipping to wherever knotters want good cordage.

Have a look around:
https://bloodknotcord.com

The old Big Cartel shop is now a signpost to the new place. Please use the new website for orders.

Thanks for your support—and if anything has you tangled up on the new site, let me know.

Cheers,
Mark

Blood Knot

25/09/2026

G’day folks,

Blood Knot is moving—well, not really moving, but opening a new shop on a different interweb thingy.

The new shop will have a new look and a proper launch soon. The old shop is still operating in the meantime. It’s still me making the cordage, and I’m still shipping world wide to wherever knotters want good cordage.

More information coming.

Cheers,
Mark

New place: https://bloodknotcord.com/
Current place: https://bloodknot.bigcartel.com/

17/08/2026

I’ve been asked to make a cotton hard lay cord of a 0.8mm diameter in 10+ metre lengths. Making such a fine cord consistently over distance is not easy, well for me it hasn’t been easy but having adjusted yarn size and weight on both traveller and brake line, I think I’ve managed it. Now if I could only speed up the the time it takes to make. Alas that can’t be done and is the rope makers cross to bear.

08/08/2026

Well, that was a big job. 90 odd 10+metre pieces of 1.5mm hard lay cotton find and off the US. On to the next job.

24/07/2026

I’ve not made a bell rope for a few years but I just finished this one which is a commission job. (The second coat of spar varnish is still drying)

Twenty nine cm in length, 2mm and 1.3mm cotton Blood Knot rope.

Single strand ring bolt hitching, 8B5L Turks Head (TH), needle hitching, 8B7L TH, coach whipping, 8B7L TH, grafting, 8B5L TH, 2 x 8 strand star knots.

16/07/2026

US tariffs on Australian goods increasing to 12.5%. Blood Knot prices will increase accordingly and I apologise to my very valued US customers. I’m pretty bloody annoyed, if you don’t want to be offended, stop reading here, the rest is a rant.

I’m pretty disgusted to have to post this and as friendly and supportive as the rope / knotting related groups are, I will no doubt encourage a few haters to raise their Neolithic heads. Apparently, this US Administration believes Australia supports slavery and is intending to impose a further tariff on Australian products. The proposed tariff will by 12.5% (increased from 10%). Then there is of course a fee on top of that.

A tariff is a tax and the US cannot impose a tax on me, (a proud Aussie, indifferent to religion, centrist in politics, discerning regarding b**r and good scotch wh**ky and pretty strongly against slavery in any of its guises). They make me collect taxes from US citizens on their behalf by forcing me to charge higher prices for US customers than I do for anyone else in the world. That’s a bloody disgrace on several levels, particularly as knot Tyers do not generally live in the upper levels of socioeconomic luxury.

Other countries charge duties (also a tax) but have the decency to collect them at their border, openly and without the subterfuge of pretending they’re taxing other countries.

In short, I’m offended the US considers Australia, a bloody long time ally, a supporter of slavery and I bloody well begrudge collecting their taxes with that disgusting allegation tainting them.

This tax will be charged on goods arriving in the US from 24/07/2026. Therefore I will be reluctantly increasing my prices for US customers accordingly.

07/07/2026

I just wanted to share a couple of Sennit frames made by a Blood Knot customer. I think they are brilliant and show that while using colour is not exactly traditional, its use can create a fantastic frame. I really like with these how the colour reduces the need for ornamentation.

I feel inspiration to make another frame niggling at the edges of what I loosely call my mind and reiterate these are not my work but that of a Blood Knot customer who approved their use. He will identify himself if he wishes too.

18/06/2026

Well this is a record for me, 24 hanks made in 6 hours. (Bound for the US and EU) Nothing went wrong, no disasters just a good days work. Bit buggered though.

07/05/2026

Bloodknot orders ready for shipping to Queensland, the USA, Norway and either West Africa or Germany (Double checking the address the customer gave me)

I’ve had an influx of orders and I’m currently all but out of my yarn in natural tones. I’ve ordered more but it won’t arrive until July. I’ve added notes to my website.

Cheers folks