Chinese Knotting: Creative Designs that are Easy and Fun! (Tuttle Specials)

I know some traditional macrame & love making my own string & bead jewelry, but I know absolutely nothing about Chinese knotting, so I got this book hoping it would start me off and get me up and running on my own. It's hard cover with glossy photos on every page, TONS of very clear, hand-drawn picture instructions with accompanying text, and lots and lots of photos of real examples. Being a beginner, it was great for me, starting off with the most basic and easiest designs, and gradually getting more complex as the book goes on. But even if you're not a beginner, it's still chock-full of excellent information for very intricate and difficult designs as well.What I liked was that it also included some history about what decorative knotting was used for, and how it was used, throughout the ages in China. It was interesting to find out that most ancient knots were made with silk, and unfortunately hardly any from ancient times had survived, being that silk was so delicate and rotted so easily. It was also interesting to find out that certain knots were exclusive to royalty that only they could wear. I had no idea knotting was used so extensively, or that the art was almost lost completely at one point, saved in the memories of only a few skilled people who (fortunately) were able to pass the skills and information on, and revive the art of knotting.This book isn't over-wordy or too lengthy, therefore it's not intimidating, nor does it talk down to the reader. It just gets right down to business and is packed cover-to-cover with excellent information and all the instructions one could need to be able to figure it all out with the book alone. I thought perhaps I'd need to get 2-3 books on Chinese knotting to really "get it," but once I got this book first (fortunately), I didn't have a need to buy any other ones on the subject. It covered everything, from remedial to expert level.

This book is Sooo inclusive. I never done Chinese knotting before. i got on Amazon and bought 5 books , All are between 4 and 5 stars. this book is The best and i dont really need any other if i only wanna learn how to do the knots . The other books didn't have all these knots nor the really nice easy way of making knots by using pins. The other books use hand only technique which is not that easy and i end up lossing my way while trying to do big knots . For example the butter fly knot which is the hardest knots on the other books and mostly the top creative one, is really hard to do it using only my hand but its soooooo easy using pins which made me more enthusiast to do the harder ones like the dragon , the fish or the malty knots necklaces . I really advice any beginner or above to get this book. If u need inspiration to use the knots on cool modern projects, like i phone bags, accessory or daily life items , This book is NOT for u :P . Its just show u the knots and its history and how to make it , but if ur looking for more bigger knots and easy way to make it , u Should Buy this book (Chinese Knotting: Creative Designs that are Easy and Fun! [Hardcover]). Hope u like this book as much as i did and forgive me if u didn't agree with me . Heba from KSA/UK

When I ordered this book I had no idea that there was anything Buddhist about Chinese knotting. The best I can figure out now, some of the knots are Buddhist symbols and others are not. If this matters to you (as it does to me) just be aware. You may want to do some research for yourself, not take my word for it, because I'm not at all sure I understand it.I want to ensure that others are not surprised by this, and that is the only reason I'm writing this review.

It may seem easy but I still cannot figure out the basic of knots. Seems like the author might have left out the tips and tricks section. In any case I use it for the terms, information on materials, design ideas, and inspiration. It is a nice book to have in your collection. But if you really want to know how to make the knots I still say Youtube, however not every knot is found on YouTube. But if you can at least make a few of the knots it helps in creating some beautiful pieces.

I have a couple Chinese knotting books but this is my favorite.

This book is second or third in a trilogy of Chinese Knotting illustration craft books by Lydia Chen. Bought as a gift for an enthusiast, they were very happy with all three books, and told me they are the best books on the specific craft. The others in the series are: The Complete Book of Chinese Knotting, and Fun With Chinese Knotting.

I found this book in our local library and knew I had to have a copy. The knots are clearly presented with tips on how best to tie (and tighten) them. The book progresses from basic knots through compound knots and concludes with instructions for using he knots to make specific pieces of jewelry.

Unfortunately the book Chinese Knotting does not deliver "creative designs that are easy and fun." The directions are hard to follow, and although accompanied by pictures, there are not enough step by step detail in the pictures for them to be particularly helpful.

This is an excellent introduction to decorative chinese knots, including the basic knots: the double coin (or Josephine); double connection; sauvastika (or Buddha); the cross (or crown); cloverleaf; good luck; button, and pan chang (or mystic) - possibly the classic flat woven knot; the round brocade (or flower); plafond (or spectacle); flat (or square). It also includes some more challenging compound knots like the ten accord, butterfly and stone chime.The practical instructions are accompanied by a short history of the craft and some interesting decorative ideas including interior ornaments, fashion and jewellery. First published in 1981, some of the creative ideas are a little dated, although most of it survives remarkably well.I would recommend absolute beginners check out  Chinese Knots for Beaded Jewellery  as a somewhat less ambitious and more modern take on chinese knotting as it applies particularly to jewellery. Chinese Knots for Beaded Jewellery

Ein bewährtes und fundiertes Buch über chinesische Knoten. Das Buch ist in einem sauberen gut lesbaren Englisch geschrieben (eine Übersetzung des ursprünglich in Taiwan erschienen chinesischen Orginals). Die Bilder ilustrieren sehr leicht verständlich und selbst ohne das man des Textes bedarf die Erstellung der 11 Basisknoten und der aufbauenden zusammengestzten Knoten. Es sind wunderschöne Zier- und Schmuckobjekte die so gefertigt werden können. Viele mit einer tieferen Symbolik. Da die Bücher in Taiwan anfang der 80er Jahre erschienen sind und die Photos aus dieser Zeit stammen wundert man sich manchmal über die Kleidung der Damen in diesem Buch. Zusammenfassend schlichtweg d a s Buch der chineschischen Knoten und ein Muß für jeden daran interessierten. Übrigens dies ist der erste und wichtigste Band einer 3 Bändigen Reihe.

Lydia Chen sait faire et défaire des noeuds.C'est en tout cas, l'impression qui se dégage de ce livre haut en couleur, avec des créations originales pleines de créativité, qui ne se limitent pas à la création des bijoux.Lydia Chen est Bachelor of sciences et le livre nous présente une notice concernant les noeuds en Chine et sa place dans la culture chinoise,ainsi qu'une biographie personnelle qui agrémente l'ouvrage.Il devient facile de créer les propositions du livre avec les explications et les schémas très très claires pour la réalisation des noeuds.Noeuds qui se déclinent en bracelets, colliers, qui ornent les coiffures ,ou les petits sacs en tissus, ou deviennent des supports de plantes, ou mettent en valeurs les lanternes chinoises ajoutant la touche d'exotisme qui les caracterise.Charmantes pièces de bijouterie pour rehausser la beauté féminine, complémentées avec des perles et autres fournitures, tels les cabochons sertis,ou minuscules amphores .Quelle que soit votre degré d'expérience ou d'habilité, avec les explications fournies, on ne peut que réussir la création choisie.Concernant les modèles de noeuds, , on y trouve des propositions qui ont trait à la culture chinoise, tels dragons, ibis, les caractères chinois, avec la traduction.Mais les modèles présentés donnent aussi libre cours à votre créativité personnelle,car une fois maîtrisée la technique vous êtes en mesure de laisser votre empreinte avec des réalisations de votre propre création.Moi ,j'ai adoré le bracelet dont vous trouverez la photo avec la présentation du livre.Avec ces créations ,il n'est pas désagréable d'avoir un noeud à la gorge.

It took longer then predicted for the delivery, but I am happy that It has arrived. I was going to loose my hope. It seems a good book even if some indication are a little bit vague, I guess I just need to buy the material and see if I can do something.

You can tell from the photos that this book is old but quite well written and easy to follow.