Straw work and corn dollies – an introduction

The use of the correct knot will ensure that your work will look tidy. Tying a bunch of straws together = Clove Hitch Tying two straws together at right angles = Transom Knot A knot that will not slip = Ligature Knot Joining straw threads = Weavers Knot Clove Hitch Method 1 Clove Hitch Method 2 Transom Knot Method 1 Transom Knot Method 2 (using a Clove Hitch) Ligature Knot This knot is sometimes called the Surgeon’s knot but the…

1. THE BASIC MATERIAL For Corn Dolly making and decorative straw work a hollow stemmed straw is required, with a good length between the head of the wheat and the first leaf node. Some of these varieties are available from specialist growers who supply to straw workers (see List of Suppliers,) or you may be fortunate enough to have a farmer near you who grows an old fashioned variety of long stemmed wheat specifically for thatching. ‘Corn’ is a generic…

There is no finer sight than to see a newly thatched roof glowing in the sunshine topped, if you are fortunate, with a stylish straw ornament that gives a flourish, and seems to say “well, this is a fine piece of craftsmanship, to be sure” . It is many a year since hayricks and straw stacks were thatched. Rick ornaments took various forms – a cockerel or a bird, a cross or a crown, a boat, an apple or a…