Fun with Chinese Knotting - Making Your Own Fashion Accessories & Accents

Fun with chinese Knotting-(Berkeiey)

D1006-54 -- 4225 --

01 Resurg of Ch Knot (4-26)FIN_ 10/16/06 7:17 PM Page 10

Fun with chinese Knotting-(Berkeiey)

D1006-54 -- 4225 --

01 Resurg of Ch Knot (4-26)FIN_ 10/16/06 7:16 PM Page 10

10 BASIC SKILLS

TB

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 run-

ning 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

Bottom

part

The end

nearest the

cord ends

Side loops

The loops

on the sides

Corner loops

The loops in

the corners

Outer loops

The semicircular

loops fringing

the body

of the knot

Body of the knot

The core or heart

of the 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 knot-
  ting 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.

Top part

The oppo-

site end of

the cord

ends

Cord ends

The loose cords

of the knot