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See projects 126 and 127 on page 156 for instructions on making the knot formations on the left and on page 15.
Application of the Extension Technique
The extension technique of using one or both cord ends together can be applied in a knot formation. The methods involved are random combination, knot body penetration and rim embellishment.
Random combination
After making a knot with multiple cords – and depending on the desired design – different cord ends can be randomly combined and the knotting continued using the extension technique of one or both cord ends. The knot formation in diagram 14 has been made by first folding four different colored cords and then tying a good luck knot, then breaking the eight cord ends into three groups of two, four and two. Each group was then tied into a knot using the extension technique of both ends. The eight cord ends were then regrouped into three groups of one, six and one. Finally, the extension techniques of one cord end, two cord ends and one cord end were used to tie the three groups into three individual knots.
Knot body penetration
When making knot formations with multiple cords, the knot body penetration technique involves pushing some cords through the knots. For example, some of the cord ends from the first knot can be used to tie a second knot, while the remaining cord ends are pushed directly through the body of the second knot to meet up with the other cord ends below. Knotting is then continued using the extension technique of one or both cord ends. However, to be able to push the cord ends through a knot body, the knot concerned must be a thick one, such as the pan chang, button, flat (see Chinese Knotting, page 58) or double connection knot. This method is normally employed when only a few cords are needed to make the second knot, and the same cords are used to make a third knot, with the non-essential cords being pushed through the second knot body, as shown in diagram 15, where double cords are used to form a knot formation.
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The knot above illustrates the use of the rim embellishment method (page 16) to combine the green ling hua knot (page 94) with the brown side knots, at the same time embellishing the rim of the green knot.
Rim embellishment
This method shares the same principle as the knot body penetration method in that only certain cords are used to tie a knot in the formation. The difference between them is that instead of penetrating the knot body, the cords concerned are used to decorate the rim of the knot body using the extension technique of one cord end, as shown in diagram 16. After embellishing the rim, the cord end(s) concerned can meet up with the other cord ends underneath to make other knot(s) using the extension technique of one or both cord ends.
Outer Loop Extension
The outer loop extension technique is used to make a side loop on an existing outer loop. Upon reaching the outer loop, another knot is tied on this loop, as shown in diagram 17. The side loop can also be extended to make other side loops, as shown in diagram 18. The knotter works from the inside to the outside when tying this series of side loops, although they are completed in the reverse.
Besides extending an outer loop into a side loop, two outer loops can also be used to tie a side loop. For example, on a pan chang knot, two outer loops can be used on the same side to tie a side loop, as shown in diagram 19; or, as shown in diagram 20, an outer loop and a corner loop can be used to tie a side loop; or, as shown in diagram 21, the outer loops from different sides can be used to tie a side loop.
Outer Loop Hook-up
This method can be used to hook up two different knots to make a formation. The method can be broken down into direct hook-up, double coin hook-up and rim embellishment hook-up.
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Life can be injected into a knot formation using the extension technique of the outer loops and the hook-up technique. This knot, depicting a basket of flowers and a butterfly flirting with flowers, exhibits joy and prosperity.
See project 111 on page 149 for instructions on making this knot formation.
Direct hook-up
Two knots can be directly hooked up through their outer loops to create a formation or to hold them in position in the formation. Hook-up can be done through corner loops, as shown in diagram 22, or through all the outer loops, as shown in diagram 23. When extending loops, hook-up can be employed on all the extended loops to form a knot, as shown in diagram 24.
Double coin hook-up
This method is much the same as the direct hook-up, except that two knots are hooked up by tying the outer loops of the two knots into a double coin knot, as in diagram 25. To achieve this, it is necessary to first form the outer loop of the first knot into a figure eight before introducing the outer loop of the second knot into the figure to produce the double coin.
Rim embellishment hook-up
As shown in diagram 26, in the rim embellishment hook-up method, two knots are tied, then the cord ends of one knot are tied to the two sides of the other knot, thereby hooking up the two knots and achieving an embellishment effect at the
