Page 10 - Lindsey Philpott "The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots"
P. 10
4 the ultimate book of decorative knots
others are round. Some make solid Thinking of fashion and fashion accessories,
shapes, others exist in ropelike forms, Hollywood stars are quick to start trends
such as braids or sinnets. Decorative knots and drop them almost as quickly. But it is
can cover, they can embellish, they can be commonplace to see celebrities using knots tied
a stand-alone decoration, or they can add in fabric or silken cords around their necks or
to an existing one. They may be made of waists or over their shoulders to emphasise
humble stuff or made some particular feature
of gold and other or to de-emphasise
precious metals. some particular
They may be shape. Among
colourful, stark dedicated knot-
white, or even tyers, the use of
the natural decorative knots
colour of the is somewhat
plant fibre from simple – used in
which the material picture frames, bell
or cord was derived. I ropes and horse tack,
can no more tell you where to decorative knots give plenty of
use decorative knots than I can rein (pardon the pun!) to the
tell you how to dress yourself, imagination. It is among the
but I can provide some examples of where decorative knotting artists that the
others have used them, in order to help greatest range may be expected, where
stimulate your imagination. the mundane is put to exemplary use in
One of the most obvious places creating the best use of space, material,
to use a decorative knot is on an and weave.
object hanging around your neck,
like a necklace or a key-card lanyard, or generAting ideAs
suspended as a brooch. Knots may be used While my passion dictates there can never
as attachments to the ends of pens or as be too many knots, sometimes for aesthetic
bookmark tabs. Sailors used them to create purposes, less is more. You will need to decide.
knife lanyards that were the envy of their I would advise a tentative application at
shipmates. Keyring tags made from first, until you see what the effect is, so
decorative knotting are something that you can determine how much
of a craze among knot-tyers – you want to see and embellish this
and even non-tyers have object of your desire. Experiment
started to use them, with colour, thickness, type,
preferring the hard- mixture, texture, and form
to-lose knobby feel of until you are more familiar
the keyring tag in their with the base on which you
pocket or purse. Wherever are working or the stand-
decorative knots are used, they alone object you create. From
heighten the awareness of beauty Butterfly Knot from the this you may then determine (or
that exists in even the simplest of author’s own hand in his perhaps you knew all along!) what
objects, so that, literally, ‘a thing of personal collection. would be most suited to your task,
beauty is a joy forever’ (Endymion by so that you can feel confident in
John Keats, 1795–1821). creating your own masterpiece.
