Introducing Barbara Frankel of
Australis Knots.
Barbara is a traditional rope maker and decorative nautical knot tyer from Howden, Tasmania. She was inspired to learn these crafts aboard the icebreaker RSV Aurora Australis during her many voyages to Antarctica as a geoscientist and project manager.
She is self-taught from books and online tutorials, with tremendous support and inspiration from international online communities. Having been a crocheter and sewer since a young girl, she was curious about mat making, so adding another fibre craft to her repertoire was natural. To give back to the online community she has recently co-founded an Australian rope makers and knot tyers Facebook group and is a member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers.
Australis Knots was formed in August 2021 after Barbara realised that these traditional crafts are not highly visible in Australia. While there are many knot tyers in the sailing and scouting communities, their products are not available for sale in many locations, and much of what is on sale is sourced from overseas (for example bell ropes and mats). As more requests and interest came her way she decided to start her small business to see where it led.
Barbara prefers to use natural fibre threads to make rope and cord using the traditional wooden rope maker in the photo as well as a battery operated 3D printed rope maker. It takes three operators to use the wooden machine, while the 3D printed version can be used by a sole operator.
One of Barbara’s passions is making hard laid cotton cord and using it in her knotwork. This cord is made by putting extra twist in the strands to make it stiff. This type of cord is not readily available and only made by a handful of enthusiasts worldwide. The beauty of this type of cord is not only its stiffness but also its neatness and durability.
Barbara’s knotwork includes bell ropes, mats, bracelets, sailor’s brushes, nautical keyrings, and fenders made from new and sometimes recycled materials.
