Where craft becomes ritual, and play becomes art
Traditional rope-making - once the backbone of our navies, farmers, and dockyards - now critically endangered.
Endangered craft
As per the Red List of Endangered Crafts
Made in Cambridgeshire, England
In Simon's workshop
Small batch, sustainable production
Gem uses natural fibres and deadstock yarn
Our handmade doorstops are as practical as they are pleasing: weighted, tactile, and crafted with meticulous care to bring warmth and character to your space.
Made by Gem of Tightrope Knots in her Cambridgeshire workshop, each doorstop is the product of hours of patient, skilled work. Gem hand-blends dead stock yarn, then carefully measures, loops and twists each strand into rope before shaping it into a substantial, beautifully finished doorstop.
What makes these doorstops truly remarkable is the endangered craft at their heart: rope making. Through the careful blending of dead stock yarns and precise control of tension and fill, Gem creates pieces with real presence and individuality. Both decorative and structural, ensuring each doorstop is built to last.
These are more than humble household objects – they are a celebration of a disappearing skill. Every single one is unique. The natural variations in dead stock yarns, combined with the subtleties of hand-working, mean each doorstop has its own character: some pull tighter and smaller, others are softer and fuller. No two are ever quite the same. For those who value craftsmanship, they are pieces that marry purpose with beauty.
Weight: circa 920-940 grams
Measurements: circa 15 cm wide x 15 cm long x 18 cms tall
Materials: deadstock yarn incl. wool, linen, cotton and more
Craft Status
Endangered
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About the maker: Gem, Tightrope Knots
Rope making is a rare and endangered craft, and Gem is among the very few practicing it in the UK today. With nearly seven years of experience, she first honed her skills at the historic Arthur Beale - one of the country’s oldest yacht chandlers - before setting out to make rope entirely by hand. Now, she transforms her distinctive, hand-spun ropes into an array of unique creations, from dog leads and juggling balls to doorstops and even earrings. With endless colour combinations to choose from and a love for bespoke projects, Gem brings fresh life to a timeless tradition.
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