Being able to tie well is far more important than being able to tie many different patterns. Just like great musicians spend a lot of time playing scales, great riggers spend a lot of time practicing their rope handling skills.
You’ll have better connection with your partner and better rope placement if you paint the rope onto their body.
Pinching the rope between your thumb and forefinger, slide your hand along the body, laying rope exactly where you want it.
Pulling rope works better than pushing it. When making knots or frictions against your partner’s body, use the finger hooking technique:
Making a few large pulls is faster and more graceful than making lots of small pulls.
Use your full wingspan when pulling rope, and step back if you need a little extra pull.
Instead of fiddling with the rope to figure out which strands to pull, you can “milk” the rope by pulling on all four strands at the same time. If your grip is right, the correct strands will move as you pull.
To avoid tangling rope on your partner’s body, clear it by throwing it in the direction you’re going to move before you start laying it on their body.