Page 120 - Lidya Chen "Complete Book of Chinese Knotting"

07 Creative Designs (115-129) 3/23/07 4:59 PM Page 117

on the periphery, such as those on each side of a hui ling knot, needs to be calculated.
Only then will you be able to create enough space to accommodate the knots in the
inner circle of the formation.
5. Knotting the inner and outer circles simultaneously: Although it is possible to make
a large knot formation with a single cord, this can be both tedious and inconvenient.
When the appearance of a knot formation will not be compromised by using multi-
ple knots, for example, when it is possible to hide loose cord ends inside the body of
a knot formation, it is better to use multiple cords, especially when making fairly
complex knots such as the hui ling. For this particular knot, it is easier to tie both the
inner and outer circles simultaneously using two different cords. Similarly, when you
have completed the three sides of a pan chang knot in the outer circle, you can use
another cord to tie the fourth side. In this way, you can tie and tighten at the same
time, which will not only save time but also the amount of cord material needed, not
to mention the fact that the end product will be neater and more elegant.
6. Knotting one or both ends of a single cord: When tying small knots, especially those
used to embellish ornaments, it is generally better to tie the main knot with both cord
ends and the side knots with a single cord end. But for big knot formations, it is
easier to tie with a single cord end and follow it through the knotting process; in this
way, the two cord ends will not intertwine. You can also start tying from the center of
the cord in one direction until completion, then use the other half of the same cord
to tie in the opposite direction. This is a less messy and more convenient way to knot.
7. Tightening and adjusting knots: When tying a knot formaton on top of a sketch, it
is advisable to pin plastic-headed board or map pins onto the sketch, placed on a
piece of corkboard or a shallow cardboard box, as you go along to hold the knots in
place and retain the shape. Adjust and tighten immediately after completing one sec-
tion of the knot to avoid taking up too much space on the board. Also, by doing it this
way, you will avoid losing some shared cords.

Completed knot formation. Using colorful board or map pins to hold a formation in place as it is tied.

CONCEIVING A DESIGN 117