Paw Stop Knot
(
Description:
This knot was actually developed and taught for the first time by our very own Shibari Master Louisa Laroche!
It is a simple stopper knot at the the top of a
cat’s paw. This creates a safe and quick column tie which will not tighten down and constrict the writsts.
What you will need:
A human being (or hand/wrist like thingy)
A set of ropes at least 15’’
Stop The Paw Steps:
1. Find your bight.
2. Rest the rope on top of your index fingers and hold your hands at shoulder width,
about a 16 inches or so.
3. Roll your fingers inwards and complete a 360 degree circle
allowing the rope to twist among itself.
4. Repeat one more twist.
Now you have two twists of rope and your hands holding on to the loops on both sides.
5. Bring the loops together and allow the rope to hang down.
These loops are now the cuffs of your column tie. We are already almost there!
6. Find a human.
7. Greet fellow human, and ask for consent to tie their wrists.
![]()
8. Slide the loops we joined previously onto your human’s wrist and be amazed how quick this tie was.
![]()
Now, let’s stop that knot!
This is important because the Cat's Paw Knot can easily become too tight and destroy the delicate nerves in the wrist!
9. Grab the knot with the hand closest to fellow human and start to create a new loop first going downwards by hooking the rope onto the rope.
Tip: Using a finger to create this loop helps.
![]()
![]()
![]()
10. Bring the rope upward between the arm and the body.
The loop should be pointing downward.
11. Use your thumb to pinch the lower part of the loop to hold the rope.
Note: Right behind the loop we just created is the bight from the cat’s paw.
Make sure they align similar to the picture shown.
12. From below, insert the two ends of the rope into the two loops starting from the cat’s paw bight and continue upwards. Make sure the rope passes through every loop.
13. With the rope all through, tighten the knot.
Finally, and most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!
![]()
