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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.

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      See project 124 on pages 154–155 for instructions on making the pendant above.

      Knotting two cords separately

      Knotting two cords as one not only produces a body comprising two different colors, but also allows one cord to be tied separately to form outer and side loops. This further enhances the combination of colors. For example, diagram 4 shows a butterfly knot tied in this way. The body of the knot was tied by knotting two cords as one. Then, as the outer loops were reached, one of the cords was tightened. The other cord was separated and tied into a butterfly wing. Another example is shown as a clover-leaf knot in diagram 5. When the outer loop was reached, one cord was tightened while the other one was pulled longer. Notice that the knot body and outer loops are of different colors as are the top outer loop and the outer loops on both sides.

      Knotting Multiple Cords

      The technique of knotting with multiple cords is similar to that of knotting two cords. But since more cords are involved, there is much more opportunity for experiment and variation. Added to this are the factors of cord colors and textures. The number of possible combinations that can be achieved is enormous.

      Knotting multiple cords as one

      The cords can get easily tangled up when knotting multiple cords as one. However, with all the different cord colors and textures involved, the entanglement might produce a unique design, much like the knot shown in diagram 6. However, if you want the end result to be like that illustrated in diagram 7, where all the different colors are lined up properly, a technique similar to that of knotting two cords as one should be employed; that is, the thickest or hardest cord should be tied first, followed by the second cord, third cord, etc. Each cord should be inserted in its proper place in the design before all are tightened.

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