Page 34 - Lydia Chen - The Complete Book of Chinese Knotting

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Cloverleaf Knot

Regardless of the number of ear loops involved, the tying technique of the cloverleaf
knot always involves pulling an ear loop through the ear loop immediately in front
of it until the last ear loop is reached, when that is pulled through the one immedi-
ately in front of it and then hooked up with the first ear loop. Different types of
modified cloverleaf knots are shown below.

Modified Knots

Increasing the Number of Outer Loops
In theory, the number of outer loops in the cloverleaf knot can be increased infinite-
ly. However, once the fourth outer loop is made, the central hole becomes too large
and makes the knot body too loose. Hence, the multiple outer loops in a cloverleaf
knot must be pulled tight and used as a ring.
Cloverleaf knot with multiple
outer loops.
Changing the Knotting Sequence of Ear Loops
You can tie a cloverleaf knot with overlapped outer loops similar to a round brocade
knot with overlapped outer loops simply by changing the knotting sequence of the
ear loops. Since this knot is structurally simple, there is not much variation.

Modified Knot Bodies

Modifying the Outer Loops
Cloverleaf knot with overlapped
The knotting technique of a compound cloverleaf knot involves extending the ear outer loops.
loops of the basic knot by pulling and wrapping an ear loop with another one that it
encounters. However, since there are two types of structure to the cloverleaf knot, one
being pull one, wrap one and the other being wrap one, pull one, and at the same time
there can be a change in the knotting sequence in the whole knotting process, it is
possible to come up with two types of compound cloverleaf knots, namely Type 1 and
Type 2. In order not to confuse readers, only the different types of knots with marked
structural differences are introduced here.

Type 1(a) Compound cloverleaf knot Type 1(b) Compound cloverleaf knot Type 1(c) Compound cloverleaf knot Type 1(d) Compound cloverleaf knot
(see page 33). (see page 34). (see page 35). (see page 36).

Type 2(a) Compound cloverleaf knot Type 2(b) Compound cloverleaf knot Type 2(c) Compound cloverleaf knot Type 2(d) Compound cloverleaf knot
(see page 37). (see page 38). (see page 39). (see page 40).

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