Week 08 · Wednesday: Mend It (Home Helpers 3 to 5)

Wednesday: Laces and knots

Lucy the Ladybug has tied her laces into a knot like a tiny rock. "I pulled hard so it would never come undone. Now it never does!"

Hazel the Hedgehog laughs kindly. "A good knot holds and still lets go. Let us loosen this one with our fingers, then learn the bow knot."

She holds up a spare lace from the basket. "And if a lace is frayed, we swap it. Bottom holes first, up to the top."

The bow knot

A bow knot holds your shoe on. It comes undone with one pull of a loose end. Here is how to tie it.

Cross the two laces and tuck one under the other. Pull to make the first knot snug.
Make a loop with one lace. Hold it near the knot.
Wrap the other lace around the loop once.
Push the wrapped lace through the small hole next to the loop. A second loop appears.
Pull both loops at the same time until the bow is snug.

If your bow comes undone often, tie the loops together once more. That is a double knot. Pull one end to undo it.

TIE THE BOW

Tap a card.
Then tap its spot.

1First

2Second

3Third

4Fourth

5Last

Fixing a stuck knot

A knot that is too tight needs patience, not tools. Never use anything sharp on a knot.

Find the loose end. Wiggle it back and forth. Push the knot from the other side with your thumbnail.

Work one loop at a time. If it will not budge after a few minutes, ask your grown-up.

KNOT KNOW-HOW

Read the question.
Tap your answer.

Lucy's knot is too tight. What should she use?

A bow knot should do two things. Which two?

Your bow keeps coming undone. What is the fix?

Swapping a frayed lace

A frayed lace can snap at a bad moment. Swap it when you see fraying. Your grown-up finds a spare of the right length.

Pull out the old lace and lay it next to the new one. Start the new lace in the two bottom holes.

Make the two ends even. Then cross and thread up one pair of holes at a time. Check that the ends stay even.

PUT THE LACE SWAP STEPS IN ORDER.

?Pull out the old frayed lace
?Start the new lace in the two bottom holes
?Tie a bow knot at the top
?Make both ends even
?Cross and thread up one pair of holes at a time

WHY THIS EXERCISEEven ends at the bottom mean even loops at the top. Order matters.

Which holes do you start a new lace in?

What should you never use on a stuck knot?

What do you call a bow with the loops tied together once more?

Statement	True or false?
A good knot holds and still comes undone when you want.	?
Scissors are a good way to loosen a tight knot.	?
A frayed lace should be swapped before it snaps.	?
You start a new lace at the top holes.	?

WHY THIS EXERCISEPatience with knots and bottom-first lacing keep shoes working and safe.

Try it

Take off one shoe with laces. Untie it and tie a bow knot three times.
Try a double knot. Then undo it with one pull of a loose end.
Check both laces for fraying while you are there.

Safety first

Fingers only for knots. Nothing sharp, and no teeth.
If a knot will not loosen in a few minutes, ask your grown-up.
A grown-up picks the spare lace and trims any long ends.

Write the bow knot steps so a younger child could follow them. Use the words first, next and last.

Tied, swapped and untangled. Wonderful, Helper! Tomorrow Hazel shows how to fold and store clothes so they last.