The lighter palette in the colour-lead range: violet purple, white and a soft sage green spun together into a three-colour rope. The white gives the whole thing more lift than the deeper palettes; the green reads almost grey from a distance, then resolves as you get closer.
Cotton rope at 20mm diameter, with the same controlled-tension bounce Gem builds into every lead. The give is the point. A rope that is too tight is unforgiving on a wrist; one that is too loose loses its spring. There is a window in between, and Gem's hand is calibrated for it.
Finished with an eye splice (stronger than any knot of the same fibre) and 100% stainless steel hardware. Approximately 1.2m end to end, with about 1.03m from the base of the handle to the metal clip.
The lead pictured here is the standard 20 mm width. Both widths are made in this palette; to see the slim 12 mm width, view the rainbow lead, style 2.
Gem Bowes · Tightrope KnotsThe lighter palette in the colour-lead range: violet purple, white and a soft sage green spun together into a three-colour rope. The white gives the whole thing more lift than the deeper palettes; the green reads almost grey from a distance, then resolves as you get closer.
Cotton rope at 20mm diameter, with the same controlled-tension bounce Gem builds into every lead. The give is the point. A rope that is too tight is unforgiving on a wrist; one that is too loose loses its spring. There is a window in between, and Gem's hand is calibrated for it.
Finished with an eye splice (stronger than any knot of the same fibre) and 100% stainless steel hardware. Approximately 1.2m end to end, with about 1.03m from the base of the handle to the metal clip.
The lead pictured here is the standard 20 mm width. Both widths are made in this palette; to see the slim 12 mm width, view the rainbow lead, style 2.
Gem Bowes learned to make rope at Arthur Beale, the Shaftesbury Avenue chandlery that has been splicing line since 1500-something. She works now from a Cambridge studio, hand-spinning flax and dead-stock yarn for dog leads, doorstops, juggling balls.
Gem Bowes learned to make rope at Arthur Beale, the Shaftesbury Avenue chandlery that has been splicing line since 1500-something. She works now from a Cambridge studio, hand-spinning flax and dead-stock yarn for dog leads, doorstops, juggling balls.
