To make the Rope Grommet, use a single strand of natural fiber rope that has been unlayed but retains its spiral shape. Use a length about three and a half times the circumference of the Grommet you want to make.

1 Make a circle out of the center section, and start wrapping one of the ends just as you would start a Multiple Overhand Knot.

2 Continue these wraps, following the natural spiral shape of the strands, all the way around the circle. At this point, it should look like a ring of three-strand rope with one strand missing.

3 Now use other the end to fill in the place of the missing strand. Twisting it slightly as you go may help it seat better. Finish by tying the two ends in a Half Knot, just as you would in the first part of a Reef Knot, and then tuck the ends over and under the strands in the manner of the Back Splice (Chapter 4).

Making Rope Grommets can help you better understand the structure of three-strand rope. Because synthetic rope tends to forget its shape when unlayed, it is awkward to use for making a Grommet.