Jekyll2022-08-06T20:14:09-07:00http://localhost:4000/feed/tag/sinnet.xmlKnotty Notions ][ SinnetA decorative knotting blog.Carol WangBeaded Crown Sinnet Sampler2010-04-07T00:00:00-07:002010-04-07T00:00:00-07:00http://localhost:4000/crown/beaded-crown-sinnet-sampler<p><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/sampler.jpg" alt="beaded crown sinnet sampler" />
I wanted to do something both knotty and beady, generally decorative and it would be best if it were wearable… I’ve had a project in mind for a few years now that is mostly just a name, plus a vague idea of fringe to go with the knotty and beadedness. Time to execute! Or is it? Best to sample first. I had the idea that I wanted the fibre base to fill the beads fully as possible but still thread through without too much angst and bought some yarn accordingly (it’s <em>about</em> the same size as 6 strand embroidery thread). Black because everything goes with black. Then with whatever beads were in my crafty backpack at the time, I went with the kids to watch them do their extracurriculars and sample. Strung in multiples of 8 because I was doing a 4 strand crown and wanted to see if any interesting patterns were going to emerge. After all, why should kumists have all the beady fun? 8)
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<p>The first thing I learned was that adding beads to string makes the string way, <em>way</em> more tangle-y than just string alone. Since I was adding a full set of beads to each knot in the sinnet, key to success was to ensure that the knot formed tightly before it got anywhere near the beads and just locked them down. I also learned how to use my fingers almost like the prongs on a French knitting spool. I formed the starting loop, the loop that was going to be laced through, over my thumb and then pinched the thread that was going to do the lacing between my thumb and index finger so the extra manipulation involved in pulling it up and then through didn’t destabilize the linking of the other threads. After I figured these things out there was far less tangling.</p>
<p>I also wanted to see what I could do about speeding up the crowning process because I remember crowning rattail as highly annoying due to the continued adjustments needed to stabilize the slippery stuff. Turns out yarn is much easier to crown, but I still wanted to see what might help even more. The first thing I tried was a foam braiding board, but that just made <em>more</em> work out of the process rather than less since you have to pull the yarn out of the slots to move the next set of beads down, and then tightening the crown knot uniformly with all the threads in slots just didn’t work for me. A total failure with respect to speeding up the process. Next I tried lashing a chopstick to the outside of my marudai (braiding table, round stool with a hole in the centre) to hold the starting loop and weighting the strands as if working a kumihimo braid. Parking the starting loop so far off centre was highly destabilizing for the whole works particularly when the strands were weighted. Another resounding “no” to that idea. But, it was the “so far off centre” part that was the problem, methinks, so if the starting loop holder were more centrally located, would that work better? I think so, but lashing a chopstick to the inside of the centre hole is a harder thing to do. I am so <em>not</em> driving nails into the mirror (top surface) of my marudai for an experiment, but I have ideas of other ways to generate the same effect without defacing anything important. 8)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/dark-blue-silver-lined-magnified.jpg" title="magnified"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/dark-blue-silver-lined-sinnet.jpg" alt="silver lined dark blue beaded crown sinnet" /></a>
In the mean time, I managed to develop a rhythm of crowning with the beads with just my hands that ticked along reasonably well and finished both the sampler and my favourite colour scheme to bracelet length. I had thought that I was going to tie a somewhat involved knot with the beaded cord, but for the length of beaded braid I generated, it ended up too thick to tie any but the simplest knots and I didn’t want to just make a longer cord because the resulting knot would be huge and heavy.</p>
<p>I’m still mulling over ideas for efficiency and final product, but the samples and experiments are interesting enough to share already IMHO.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/light-blue-silver-lined.jpg" title="bigger"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/light-blue-silver-lined-stamp.jpg" alt="silver lined light blue beaded crown sinnet" align="left" /></a> <a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/light-blue-silver-lined-magnified.jpg" title="magnified"><big>magnified</big></a>
First up is a mildly irridescent light blue silver lined Czech seed bead. It was interesting and gave this nifty bead slices effect where each ring of beads were distinctly separated from the next by the visible band of black where the knot was.<br clear="all" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/dark-blue-silver-lined-triangular-sinnet.jpg" title="bigger"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/dark-blue-silver-lined-triangular-sinnet-stamp.jpg" alt="silver lined dark blue beaded triangular crown sinnet" align="left" /></a> Next is a slightly larger bead, silver lined dark blue. In a bit of forgetfulness, I managed to string only 3 of my strands with this colour of bead. All the other colours went onto all 4 strands, so I simply crowned the 3 beaded strands and ran the 4th strand through as a core. The beaded slice effect is much lessened and due to using 3 strands and a core, it seems that more of the yarn cord is visible giving a more bead studded effect. It would be interesting to deliberately bring out that aspect by either using a significant core size or increasing the number of strands and crowning with beaded and unbeaded strands… In any case, the combination of dark and sparkly really caught my eye, here.<br clear="all" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/green-sheen-czech-drops.jpg" title="bigger"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/green-sheen-czech-drops-stamp.jpg" alt="oily green czech drops beaded crown sinnet" align="left" /></a> <a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/green-sheen-czech-drops-magnified.jpg" title="magnified"><big>magnified</big></a>
Next was a conical tip drilled Czech drop bead in an oily iridescent green. These had the smallest holes and would occasionally require force to move over the needle/yarn join. The pops there made me worried that the glass might be breaking and unbalance my pre-threaded bead arrangement, but no such problem. All the beads remained intact. The resulting bead arrangement completely covers the yarn even when you pick it up and flex it. From a slight distance it gives me a dragon scale feeling. Gorgeous, but I only had a small bag of those beads which were purchased in another country. I will have to do some hunting to see where I might get similar beads locally or buy them online.<br clear="all" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/red-white-spiral-magnified.jpg" title="bigger"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/red-white-spiral-stamp.jpg" alt="red and white spiral beaded crown sinnet" align="left" /></a> Next were some transparent red and frosted white beads. I started in and the expected spiral formed exactly as expected along with the bead slice effect so I decided to change it up by crowning after every 3 set of beads instead of every single set. I was hoping to create a more beaded bead effect.
<a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/red-transparent.jpg" title="bigger"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/red-white-3drop.jpg" alt="red and white 3 drop beaded crown sinnet" align="right" /></a><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/red-transparent-3drop-magnified.jpg" title="bigger"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/red-transparent-3drop-stamp.jpg" alt="red 3 drop beaded crown sinnet" align="left" /></a> I think if I ran a core strand through and put the whole thing under tension, the span of 3 beads would bulge and be interesting…<br clear="all" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/white-magatama-drops-large.jpg" title="bigger"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/white-magatama-drops-large-stamp.jpg" alt="large white magatama drops beaded crown sinnet" align="left" /></a> <a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/white-magatama-drops-large-magnified.jpg" title="magnified"><big>magnified</big></a>
Lastly, I used a large-ish white <a href="http://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/seed/01.html">magatama drop bead</a> through which you can definitely see the yarn. I wonder if I used smaller magatamas if I would get an effect similar to the Czech drops or if it would remain more like the round beads due to structure.</p>Carol WangI wanted to do something both knotty and beady, generally decorative and it would be best if it were wearable… I’ve had a project in mind for a few years now that is mostly just a name, plus a vague idea of fringe to go with the knotty and beadedness. Time to execute! Or is it? Best to sample first. I had the idea that I wanted the fibre base to fill the beads fully as possible but still thread through without too much angst and bought some yarn accordingly (it’s about the same size as 6 strand embroidery thread). Black because everything goes with black. Then with whatever beads were in my crafty backpack at the time, I went with the kids to watch them do their extracurriculars and sample. Strung in multiples of 8 because I was doing a 4 strand crown and wanted to see if any interesting patterns were going to emerge. After all, why should kumists have all the beady fun? 8)Today’s blog is brought to you by the letter ‘Y’2010-01-06T00:00:00-08:002010-01-06T00:00:00-08:00http://localhost:4000/project%20diary/knotty/todays-blog-is-brought-to-you-by-the-letter-y<p><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotty/Y-button.jpg" title="bigger"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotty/Y-button-stamp.jpg" align="left" alt="purple button knot and diamond sinnet letter Y" /></a> One of the many names for the <a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/button/">Chinese button knot</a> is the <em>one strand diamond knot</em>. Strangely enough, the exact same knot can also be called the <em>two strand diamond knot</em>. This wackiness is due to the idea that if the top of the knot is a loop, then there is only one strand of cord tying the knot. If, instead, there are two separate cords instead of a loop at the top, then it is a knot tied in 2 cords, hence <em>two strand</em> button knot. It’s a very fine distinction that I chose not to make most of the time (what exactly is it if you’ve tied it with one “strand” and then cut the top loop, eh? 8)
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But maybe the difference is in the tying method even if the end result is identical. The method that gives you the two strand diamond knot can be extended to give you a three, four, five, etc, etc diamond knot. While the method that gives you the <a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/button/howto1/">single button knot</a> and extends into the <a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/button/howto2/">double button knot</a>, triple, quadruple, etc, etc is not the same. I’ve tried it, the exact method used to generate the multi-strand diamond knot when reduced to 2 strands is most definitely not the same knot usually identified as the two strand diamond knot (that being the Chinese button knot). I’m being awfully repetitive here, but naming practices grown organically by multiple parties over centuries just defy precision and disambiguation.</p>
<p>The important thing to take away from all this, however, is that the <em>four</em> strand diamond knot looks almost identical to the Chinese button knot as my letter ‘Y’ demonstrates. The top branches of the ‘Y’ were started separately as a series of button knots, then the four ends were joined into four strand diamond knots, a four strand diamond <strong>sinnet</strong>.</p>
<p>I had a look at my <a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/book/#ashley">Ashley</a> and <a href="http://books.google.ca/books?id=QaSBVuPK9H0C&pg=PA471&lpg=PA471&dq=chains+and+sinnets&source=bl&ots=iwuBXCcbDP&sig=DZ8vr5MSbNFjz1zGzEWW-yoliBw&hl=en&ei=Xt5ES_e-O4WANoaioPEB&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=chains%20and%20sinnets&f=false">the chapter on chains and sinnets</a> does not include a formal definition of the word “sinnet” as related to knots. Even the web is kinda <a href="http://www.google.ca/search?q=define%3Asinnet">unhelpful in this regard</a>. So here’s my definition: a <em>sinnet</em> is a braid or chain created by a series of knots, usually the same knot repeated over and over.</p>Carol WangOne of the many names for the Chinese button knot is the one strand diamond knot. Strangely enough, the exact same knot can also be called the two strand diamond knot. This wackiness is due to the idea that if the top of the knot is a loop, then there is only one strand of cord tying the knot. If, instead, there are two separate cords instead of a loop at the top, then it is a knot tied in 2 cords, hence two strand button knot. It’s a very fine distinction that I chose not to make most of the time (what exactly is it if you’ve tied it with one “strand” and then cut the top loop, eh? 8)Good Luck Variations 1: Chrysanthemum2009-01-22T00:00:00-08:002009-01-22T00:00:00-08:00http://localhost:4000/good%20luck/good-luck-variations-1-chrysanthemum<p><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/luck/chrysanthemum-big.jpg" title="bigger"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/luck/chrysanthemum.jpg" alt="the Japanese chrysanthemum knot" align="left" /></a><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/luck/good-luck-big.jpg" title="bigger"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/luck/good-luck.jpg" alt="the good luck knot" align="right" /></a> The <strong>good luck knot (吉祥結)</strong>, a name coined by Lydia Chen who wrote the seminal book <a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/book/#chen1">Chinese Knotting</a> in both Chinese and English, is based on the <strong>crown knot</strong>. Usually the crown knot is tied in sequence to create a <strong>sinnet</strong>, a braid composed of knots. The best static (not animated) instructions I have found on the net for the crown sinnets are by <a href="http://www.boondoggleman.com">The Boondoggle Man</a> who, unfortunately, calls them the <strong>square stitch</strong> and the <strong>circle stitch</strong>.
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<p>The basic crown knot tied the same way each time will result in a <a href="http://www.boondoggleman.com/prj_circle_stitch.htm">round sinnet</a>. The crown knot tied in alternating directions will result in a <a href="http://www.boondoggleman.com/prj_square_stitch.htm">square sinnet</a>.</p>
<p>The good luck knot is a double crown knot tied on the bight (using loops formed from a single cord, tie 2 crown knots in sequence). The traditional good luck knot is tied in alternating directions to give a nice crisp angular shape (square when tied with 4 loops, pictured to the right). The non-alternating, round version in Japanese literature is the <strong>chrysanthemum knot</strong> (菊結び, pictured to the left). Admittedly, the difference is fairly subtle visually, but some find that when hanging the knots that the Japanese chrysanthemum hangs better owing to the smidgen extra tilt towards centre.</p>
<p>And, because nothing can be that simple, the <a href="http://www.knots.or.kr/maedup/knots/man/maedup/man_maedup04.htm">Korean chrysanthemum knot</a> (국화매듭) is <a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/mystic/">the mystic knot</a>, an entirely different knot. In my “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565912322/skateorg">Maedeup: The Art of Traditional Korean Knots</a>” by <a href="http://www.knots.or.kr/maedup/info/info.htm">Kim Hee-jin</a>, the good luck knot in Korean is the <a href="http://www.knots.or.kr/maedup/knots/man/maedup/man_maedup11.htm">Dongsimyeol Maedeup</a> (동심결매듭) translated as “One Mind Knot”. That sounds like a machine translation that didn’t get a once over from real translator. One of the other knots in this grid is called a “crawfish eyes knot.” Cool, although the translated names of many of the other ones make more sense.</p>
<p>Fun, eh? 8) Hey, if you (gentle reader) are a Chinese, Japanese, or Korean (reading and typing) crafter and would like to help me translate things from time to time, I’d love to <a href="mailto:mistress@knottynotions.com">hear from you</a>!</p>Carol WangThe good luck knot (吉祥結), a name coined by Lydia Chen who wrote the seminal book Chinese Knotting in both Chinese and English, is based on the crown knot. Usually the crown knot is tied in sequence to create a sinnet, a braid composed of knots. The best static (not animated) instructions I have found on the net for the crown sinnets are by The Boondoggle Man who, unfortunately, calls them the square stitch and the circle stitch.