A chain sinnet is a method of shortening a rope

Rope

A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...

 or other cable

Cable

A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...

 while in use or for storage. It is formed by making a series of simple crochet

Crochet

Crochet is a process of creating fabric from yarn, thread, or other material strands using a crochet hook. The word is derived from the French word "crochet", meaning hook. Hooks can be made of materials such as metals, woods or plastic and are commercially manufactured as well as produced by...

-like stitches in the line.

Tying

To tie:

1. Create a loop in the rope. Then pull a bight
   Bight (knot)
   In knot tying, a bight is a curved section, slack part, or loop between the two ends of a rope, string, or yarn. The term is also used in a more specific way when describing Turk's head knots, indicating how many repetitions of braiding are made in the circuit of a given knot.-Slipped knot:In order...
   
    of the working part through the loop, creating an overhand noose knot.
2. Pull another bight of the working part through the loop of the previous stitch.
3. Tighten the stitch to the desired degree by pulling on the both sides of the loop. Adjust the loop by pulling on the working end to keep it a reasonable size.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 until the rope has been sufficiently shortened.
5. To lock the sinnet, pass the working end through the final loop.

To restore the rope to its original length, pull the end passed in the last step back through the final loop and pull on the free end. The sinnet will quickly unravel.

See also

• List of knots
• Chain stitch
  Chain stitch
  Chain stitch is a sewing and embroidery technique in which a series of looped stitches form a chain-like pattern. Chain stitch is an ancient craft - examples of surviving Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread have been dated to the Warring States period...
  
  
• Daisy chain
• Sennit
  Sennit
  Sennit is a type of cordage made by plaiting strands of dried fibre or grass. It can be used ornamentally in crafts, like a kind of macrame, or to make straw hats...
  
  
• Sling (climbing equipment)
  Sling (climbing equipment)
  A sling or runner is an item of climbing equipment consisting of a tied or sewn loop of webbing that can be wrapped around sections of rock, hitched to other pieces of equipment or tied directly to a tensioned line using a prusik knot; for anchor extension , equalization, or climbing the...
  
  

External links

• Chain stitch with animation
• Boater’s Tip: The Chain Sinnet (‘Daisy Chain’) Knot