there and taken for granted!
Yet, when we look closely at Chinese knots, we find that each is an extremely systematic, intricate and delicate item, the fine details reflecting the very thoughts, feelings and artistry of the ancient Chinese women who made them. Only then do we see that knotting is an art in itself.
Once we acknowledge the artistic merit of knots, we can break away from the concept of a knot being merely an accessory to enhance the elegance of some other, main object. We can make it the main focus of attention and embellish it with other ornaments. In this way, the design of Chinese knots offers infinite creative possibilities.
But to design a simple or compound knot and to explore its potential, one must first of all have a sound knowledge of the basic skills of knotting. One also needs to have a knowledge of such fundamentals as the choice of format, the most suitable colors, the most appropriate cord materials and the best embellishments. This chapter provides the basic skills necessary to help readers design and apply their own knots and also gives handy tips on knotting.
Introduce elements from modern art into Chinese knotting. Here, multiple colored cords add fresh appeal to the inherent beauty of traditional forms, injecting a new dimension into the art. Colors outside the normal spectrum – gold, silver, black and white – used in combination with the basic seven colors can produce dazzling results.
BASIC SKILLS
All Chinese knots, be they simple or compound, are based on the same underlying three-step principle: tying the knot, tightening the cord, and adding the finishing touches. Once this basic principle has been grasped and the method for making each knot mastered, all the knots you have learned can be freely recombined to produce boundless creative knots.
The fundamentals of Chinese knotting can be broken down into basic skills and formation skills. Central to the basic skills is the use of a single cord and double or multiple cords, coupled with the choice of running the cord ends separately or in parallel, to make a multitude of knots or knot formations. Formation skills involve the extension of the cord ends and outer loops, as well as the hook-up of outer loops. Using these techniques, all the knots can be hooked up into a formation to make an elegant ornament.
Making a Knot or Formation
As noted above, making a knot or formation involves three basic steps: tying the knot, tightening the cord, and adding the finishing touches. These general guidelines apply to every knot in this book and provide the foundation on which you can build your knotting skills. If you want to further enrich the knot, you can always use two, three or even more cords of different colors to make a striking multicolored ornament.
The practice of running the cord ends separately or in parallel can achieve other desirable effects. For example, using cords of different colors, with the core ends running in parallel or separately, can give rise to very colorful and elegant knots, such as round brocade, pan chang, cloverleaf, and good luck knots. In addition, tightening or loosening certain colored cord(s) can produce various patterns on the outer loop, thereby changing the design.
In the olden days, people used nothing but their bare fingers to hold the cord in place while tying even the most complicated of knots. These days, most knotters benefit from a few simple tools: a piece of corkboard of a shallow cardboard box on which to place the cord as the knot is formed; a number of push pins for anchoring the cords as they are knotted, perhaps in different colors for the body and loops; a crochet hook or a pair of slim tweezers for feeding the cord through narrow spaces and ensuring that the cords do not twist or bend out of shape; a pair of scissors for trimming, and a needle and different colored threads for sewing delicate and discreet stitches to ensure the knot holds its shape permanently.
Knotting a single cord
Basically all Chinese knots can be done using a single cord. The same result can be achieved by knotting one end or both ends of the cord, but as it is quite difficult to analyze the knot, beginners are encouraged to knot both cord ends to give a clearer cord path, thus avoiding confusion arising from the tying. Hence, knotting both ends of a single cord is the simplest and most convenient of all knotting skills.
Knotting one end of a single cord
When making a formation, there is, however, a need to use this particular technique for better flexibility. With frequent references to the step-by-step illustrations on basic and compound knots, starting from the last step of tightening the knot, it is easy to follow one end of the cord to trace back to the other end and make an elegant knot employing this technique. This knotting technique is frequently used to tie side knots on the outer loops, or when making necklaces and belts with Chinese knots.
The Parts of a Knot
TIPS
• It is better to use more cord (at least 3 meters) than less so that you do not come up short at the end.
• Seal off the ends of cords with tape, thread, liquid glue or hot wax to prevent fraying.
• Make sure you keep the cord flat as you follow the step-by-step diagrams.
• String on beads, etc. at the appropriate point in the knotting process.
• Leave enough space for the cord to pass through as many times as required.
• Make sure than no bends, twists or kinks develop in the cord as you knot.
• Be patient and cautious when tightening the cords and pulling out the loops.
• Stitch the knot at relevant points (e.g. pendant junctions) to help retain the shape.
Knotting both ends of a single cord
Usually, a knot tied with a single cord is made of only one color. To provide variety in the color of a formation, the ends of two different colored cords can be tied to form a single cord. Diagram 1, the cloverleaf knot, is an example. By making the join of the two different colored cords fall at the junction of the top outer loop, the two colors become evenly distributed in the body of the knot. Also, as shown by the pan chang knot in diagram 2, by making the join of the two different colored cords fall at the top outer loop, the two colors become evenly intertwined in the knot body and are represented equally on both sides of the knot.
Knotting Double Cords
Another way of adding color is to knot two different colored cords together as if they were one. Since two cords are being knotted together, the end result tends to be bigger and in some cases, for example the button knot, also thicker.
Knotting two cords as one
This knotting technique is normally confined to simple knots. Complicated knots when done this way, such as the pan chang, tend to end up messy. A better way of carrying out this technique is to tie one cord first then, before tightening the knot, tie the second cord following exactly the same path as the first cord before finally tightening both cords. If the two cords are different in color, hardness and thickness, the harder or thicker cord should always be tied first followed by the softer or thinner one. To achieve a pleasing knot, the second knot should always be kept on the right or left side of the first one, not on a mixture of both sides.
