Knotting Tools

In a comment on the previous post, Ruth asked whether I use a knotting tool, and if so, was it worth the price.

I do own a wonderful knotting tool, and it works well on finer yarns (20/2 or 16/2 cotton) but balks at this 8/2 cotton. It knots one tag end around the other, but that slips because it isn't a real, complete knot. The tool can't knot both ends together. This particular tool comes in different models for different yarn sizes, and I think the 8/2 cotton is simply too heavy for it.

The question of whether it's worth the price depends on how often you tie one warp onto another, how many ends you are knotting at a time, and where you purchase the knotter. Mine came from eBay and was a reasonable price - in the $30-$40 range, if I remember correctly. There's information about it here, posted soon after I acquired it.

Even though it's been at least a year since I tied onto the last jacquard warp, with 1,440 ends, I consider the tool worth every penny. It's a one-time expense after all - the tool will surely outlive me!  When I hand-tie knots, I have to work in small increments and rest my hands in between, or the arthritis really talks sternly to me later. The knotter uses a different set of muscles/joints and doesn't bother my hands nearly as much, so for me, it is definitely worth the expense. YMMV, of course.