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16th June 2008

Kayak String Figure

posted in hard, video |

This is a hard String Figure but a fun String Figure.

I have created a YouTube video.

There are currently 4 responses to “Kayak String Figure”

Why not let us know what you think by adding your own comment! Your opinion is as valid as anyone elses, so come on... let us know what you think.

  1. 1 On June 16th, 2008, Nana said:

    What a wonderful teacher you are! Maybe even I could learn from you?

  2. 2 On June 17th, 2008, Cheryl Oakes said:

    Alexander, You are an excellent teacher! I think you will start a string craze. It will be good since this is such an easy toy to carry around and you can start many conversations with this.
    How clever to make a movie to share your enthusiasm.
    Cheryl Oakes, Maine, USA

  3. 3 On June 18th, 2008, Belinda Holbrook said:

    Alexander – Did you know there is an International String Figure Association? The primary goal of ISFA is to gather, preserve, and distribute string figure knowledge so that future generations will continue to enjoy this ancient pastime. One of our members, Myriam who lives in Israel, told others on the String Figure listserv about your new website! Internet videos have certainly provided a wonderful new way to share string figures. There are more all the time on youtube but I think your videos are very good. You have a good background, your strings don’t go out of focus, and hands don’t move outside the view. I have not done the kayak before and I was able to pick it up easily from your instructions. I know a similar figure that Dave Titus taught me. (I see you have a link to his website.) He calls it Two Old Women. I included it and the story that goes with it in a book I wrote called String Stories. It starts out the same as your kayak but you don’t cross the two index strings at the beginning. There’s one step that makes a really cool heart. If you go to http://www.isfa.org/arctic/jenness.htm the instructions are 42 The Burbot and 44 A Woman Pulling Another by the Hair. Your kind of videos would be helpful here! I see there is a kayak figure there but it’s not quite like yours. Where did you learn yours from? There’s another figure that Dave Titus taught me from that series. He calls it Porcupine, I think, but I don’t see it listed on the Arctic String Figure list. I probably just don’t know the name of it. It starts out like your kayak where the index fingers trade loops. Then only the left hand goes through the next steps. At the end you can pull it down and the porcupine will climb the tree. It’s kind of like making the Little Dog With Big Ears run again. Do you do that one?

    I am a school librarian. I enjoy sharing string figures with my students. You can see pictures of them on our school website. I also enjoyed doing string figures with my sons who are now grown. You remind me a lot of them. Anyway, keep up the good work.
    Belinda Holbrook, Davenport, Iowa

  4. 4 On October 29th, 2008, michael said:

    sweet, well done
    my suggestion is that for the final step you don’t need to lay the figure down

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