Chinese button knot
Doubled Chinese button knot, flat and tightened in the same picture | |
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Category | Decorative |
Category #2 | Stopper |
Related | diamond knot, Celtic button knot |
Typical use | clothing button |
ABoK | #599 |
Chinese button knot is essentially a diamond knot where the lanyard loop is shortened to a minimum, i.e. tightened to the knot itself. There emerges therefore only two lines next to each other from the knot: the beginning and the end. The knot has traditionally been used as a button on clothes in Asia, thus the name.
Tying
The diamond knot is usually tied with a carrick bend as a first step. This results then in a knife lanyard knot which can be used as a button hole, as well as a button.
There is however a tying method that does not require a carrick bend as a first step, and does not produce a lanyard loop that needs to be reduced when used as a button. This method provides just the button, a spherical basket weave knot, in the style of Turk's head knot or diamond knot.
- - Under hand slip knot, with slip-end exiting upwards to the right.
- - Slip-end leftwards over the knot, under and up through the slip loop, resulting in two interlocking slip knots in radial symmetry, with ends exiting upwards.
- - Ends down the opposite triangular holes at center, while swirling slightly around each other resulting in a four petaled flower with double stem,
- - For a several strand Chinese button knot follow consistently along the in or out side of the other stem back to the same point after having traversed all four petals.
- - Tighten to an evenly spherical button.