Week 05 of 52 : Somerville Double Column Tie
In week five of our #kinbaku52 project we're using a side-by-side double column tie, based on the Somerville Bowline, and moving into a decorative lacing pattern. It's a simple, repetitive pattern, where each wrap is pulled through a bight, forming a new bight, and so on. We like it for mummification style ties, and it's very easy to incorporate some vibrator bondage; in this case, a Lovehoney Magic Wand.
And the small blue disclaimer above has never been more apt! Even as beginners, I can say with confidence that we have watched several YouTube tutorials that teach the wrong method for a double-column tie using the Somerville bowline. (Don't assume that we are doing it correctly either - check out some of the recommended tutorials at the end of this article if you'd like to learn more.) However, the following method has worked well for us so far, and is very similar to our article a couple of weeks ago: Somerville Bowline Directionality.
Make a couple of wraps around both ankles working downwards towards the feet. Make sure that you hold back a decent length bight to cinch the tie and complete the knot.
The cinch passes around both wraps and you begin the Somerville Bowline as normal, but ensure it's competed around the upper wrap.
The example above is arguably a little too slack, but for the lacing style we had in mind it really doesn't need to be tight. For the question of "directionality" of the tie, exactly the same rule works as with the single-column version of the tie. (Somerville Bowline Directionality)
The image to the right (above) shows the result of attempting to complete the knot in a single cinch around both wraps, and you're left with some vague sort of friction; definitely not a knot.
We used a similar decorative lacing in this earlier blog post named: Gote Shibari and Stem Practice. I find it a beautiful tie that probably looks more difficult than it actually is...
It's one of the more comfortable styles of leg-lacing that we've tried, quite similar to a technique that was taught in the ShibariClasses course, Tying Techniques Part 1.
Untying is very simple. Once the tension is released each bight is freed and you can simply slip the coils of rope down your legs like a loose pair of old pants! ;-)
References
As we mentioned right at the beginning of this post, be careful with online tutorials. We've found the ShibariClasses website to be very helpful in guiding us along what is hopefully a fairly reliable path! If you are looking for a good starting point, perhaps take a look at the following suggestions:
- Japanese Rope Bondage parts 1 & 2
- Tying Techniques Part 1
- Bondage Safety <- Free Course!!
Of the three courses listed above, Japanese Rope Bondage is a very comprehensive foundation, and Tying Techniques Part 1 introduces a similar leg wrapping. In all of the photos for this blog post we're using Okinawa Jute rope from Esinem-Rope. The vibrator in the photos is the mains powered Lovehoney Magic Wand. It's size and shape make it ideal for this style of vibrator bondage.
This week we looked at a side-by-side double colmn tie, and next week we're looking at a "crossed" double column.
