Customer Reviews

The Complete Book of Chinese Knotting: A Compendium of Techniques and Variations

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Beautiful photos and drawings of Chinese knots. The only problem with this book is that it does not show you how to tie them. If you studied the photos long enough you might be able to figure them out. I still don't know how to tie a Chinese button knot. If you are an expert at knotting you might find this book useful. If you are looking for directions on how to tie Chinese knots, this is not the book for you. I am also sure that there are more then the 14 Chinese knots that are covered in this book.

This book has gorgeous examples of very detailed knotting work, mostly Chinese but a couple Japanese and Korean works. For the simpler knots it has diagrams of the layering and formation of the cord which might be a bit difficult to beginners. If so I suggest getting Lydia Chen's other knotting book, Chinese Knotting: Creative Designs that are Easy and Fun! which has much more detailed and superbeginner-friendly guides to each of the smaller knots. That book also has an introduction to set-up methods (pins on a surface to hold the cord, knots in place).
However, I do think that if you perhaps have an eye for detail and carefully look at the layering of cords in the diagrams you could figure these out. Keep in mind though, that the later more super-detailed (very gorgeous) designs in the book only have text descriptions of how they can be made.

"The Complete Book of Knotting" does have a more full spectrum of knots.. I feel that it encourages and gives advice for the reader to make their own designs after mastering/getting used to the large vocabulary of the other knots. It also gives a more historical introduction to knots in Chinese history.

All in all I really recommend anyone seriously going to take on this craft to purchase both books. For super beginners, definitely start with the Chinese Knotting: Creative Designs that are Easy and Fun! book. For craft-minded people who only want one book , perhaps you can just get this book.

I disagree with the previous review in one aspect at least. There are actually very detailed diagrams of how to tie the knots. Having used a couple of Lydia Chen's other knotting books, I am used to the way the diagrams work, but they can be hard to follow for some people.

This book is gorgeous - and not at all helpful. The instructions for most knots are poor at best, and left me with great frustration and a headache.