Celtic Knots 101 - Running Borders

[TessDB]

The wait is over! here's the tutorial:

When designing a border for a knotwork piece, there are a couple of things you need to decide from the very beginning.
#1) What is it’s purpose? Is it to add a sense of order to an otherwise chaotic piece (like the Cead Mile Failte I’m working on)? Or is this your last ditch attempt to direct the viewer’s eye? Or is it simply to add some intricacy to a simple piece (like with a fairly simple bit of calligraphy)?
#2) How important is it to make it all one line? To me, this is the holy grail of knotwork. In every piece I have to decide what’s more important, the overall composition or making it one band of interlace? As a general rule, composition wins out. But that doesn’t mean I don’t make myself crazy trying to get both.
#3) Where do you want the emphasis? The center? The corners? Or balanced so the eye isn’t pulled to one thing or the other?

So what I’ll be showing is what I think of as running borders. The difference between a running border & a knotwork border (like what I showed in the previous thread) is pretty small. The main thing being that each basic unit that is repeated can’t stand on it’s own very well.

So here are some examples of very simple running borders:



Notice that as you add bands, you also increase the width. In this image, I’ve marked where the repeats are. Notice that you need as many curves for a full repeat unit as you have bands (bringing the band of your first curve back up & ready to curve again). Now, when doing a simple plait/braid/twist border, you don’t need to worry about fitting full repeats into the space you’re trying to fill (unless you’re shooting for the “holy grail” which is a tutorial in and of itself).



Corners, when you aren’t working a separate knot for emphasis, come in two varieties. Spade & split spade (close kin to the pretzel knot, btw.) To keep the spaces between your bands consistent, corners come with some special space considerations. A spade corner = *half* of one of the curves. In this scale, it needs 1 square. A split-spade needs the *same* amount of space as one of your curves.



You also need to consider what the types of corners do to your pattern. A spade corner allows all of the bands to pass through and on to the next side. A split-spade joins two bands & only allows however many you have left to pass through (in this example, 2 bands.)

But what if you don’t want a corner? What if you just need a column/bar? These are some of the most common ways to end a running border:



Ok, just a little bit more to show you before we get going on the first design.

[TessDB]

I’m going to show you George Bain’s method for doing interlace, slightly modified (his book, “Celtic Art-- the Methods of Construction” is really really useful if you don’t have it already). I hardly use this method anymore ‘cause it’s a bit fussy. But it *is* an excellent way to start and to train your eye/hand. So here’s a step by step of how to do a basic 4-band plait, using a center line for a guide. Think of the center line as the bones of your design. You’ll draw the edges of the bands equally spaced on either side of it. Once you’ve got the edges drawn in, erase the center line and there ya go!

#1: Use where the lines from the graph paper cross to guide the center line. We’ll draw the curves in first. In this scale, draw the curve across two boxes to create the top & bottom curves, leaving 2 rows of boxes between them. For my demo, I’m only doing 4, but do as many as you want to get comfortable with it.



#2: Draw in your bars, connecting the curves with an “X”



#3: Start drawing in the edges of the bands, stopping & starting at the graph paper lines before you reach the “over” of the “X.” how you stop & start the curves will create the “under” portions.



#4: Draw in the “over” parts of the “X”.



#5: Erase your center lines & do any clean-up.



That’s it. It’ll take practice, but this demo should give you lots of it!

Now, let’s do a spade corner using the same method. If you want to start where you left off on the previous bit of practice, that’s just fine.

#1: draw in 4 curves across the top. Mirror with only *two* on the bottom. Now draw in 4 going down the next side, with the topmost one crossing the last curve across the top. Mirror the last 2 curves on the inside.



#2: Draw in straight lines, connecting the curves. Erase the parts of the corner that don’t connect to a straight part (the antennae looking bits).



#3: Just like before, draw in the edges of the curves.



#4: Now do the over parts of the “X”.



#5: Erase the center line & clean up.



I’ll show how to do a split-spade a bit later. It’s a little trickier because the center line becomes one of the outside band lines… Anyway.

Ready for the first design? Here we go!

[TessDB]

Remember the questions from the first post, about what purpose the border is going to serve? For this first design, I’m going to make a few executive decisions. #1: We’re adding intricacy to something simple, but don’t want to overpower it. #2 composition rules! If it becomes one band it’s a happy accident. #3 No emphasis required.

This design is based on a 4-strand plait, divided into a twist. Here’s the step by step. This small section is your unit that will repeat (it’s not a true repeat unit. To take one band completely through requires 4 1/2"). Feel free to do as many as you want to get comfortable with it.



Ready to apply what I’ve shown you? Lets work it into a 5x7 frame.

#1 Start by marking out your working space, I like to mark inches & the center. In this scale, you need 2” for a repeat unit, 1” thick.



#2 Start drawing in the bones of your pattern. Because of the space needed for repeats, I’ll center the basic unit at the midpoint on the top and bottom of our frame. And because I don’t want to put too much emphasis on the midpoints, I’ll let the unit repeat twice on the sides, balanced on the midpoints.



#3 Now do a spade corner. I’ve done each one as a progression in the example so you can see how it comes together.



#4 Just like I showed in the previous steps, draw in the edges for your bands.



#5 Erase & clean-up & that’s it!



Just for giggles, here it is with color so you can see how many bands. Sigh.



So now you have a really nice little border frame with an opening of 3x5. Hopefully, I’ve been clear enough that you can see how to expand it to make a larger frame. I’ll come up with some more “bones” you can use as a template in a bit. Stay tuned.

Any questions? Let’s see how you do!

Tess

[Flurkiele]

I enjoyed this very much and I think I'll take a stab at it later. You have a ver interesting method of making the knot path. BTW- I've never used graph-paper, should I?

Finally, is there an easy way to make it one continuous line? George Bain said that in a panel the number of horizontal and vertical intersections should have no common factor (i.e 4x3 9x13 15x67,) but I don't think that would work for a border... Anyway, it's just as pretty with many lines as one.

Once again, pretty knots and I enjoyed the various ending treatments. I also liked the technicolor worms.

[TessDB]

Glad you enjoyed it, Flurkiele! Technicolor worms...

About graph paper: you don't need to use it, but it is helpful. Especially when you want to create something that's fairly uniform in it's shape/line. I don't use it very often in drafting my own. I tend to like knotwork that's a bit more organic looking. BUT, when starting out, graph paper can save you lots of frustration. And help you avoid the "tangled spaghetti" thing.

About making it into one line... Bain's rules about working with panels is essentially correct. He just said it the hard way. Think of your curves, instead (ignore the corners, 'cause they always come in pairs). An even & odd number of curves on the outside edge will give you 1 band (like 2 & 3). As will an odd number on all 4 sides, as long as it isn't the *same* odd number (like 3 & 5). Working with a border has some different rules. And if this particular design will do it... I'm not sure. let me play with it (I *think* it will, with some minor modifications).

Tess

[Merry Scribe]

YAY Master you have kept your promise forgive me for being so impatient. I am but a young student of the Master and don't know the was of the celtic knotwork world as of yet. But I will promise you that I will make you proud of me.

Young Grass Hopper.

[TessDB]

Originally Posted by Merry Scribe

I am but a young student of the Master and don't know the was of the celtic knotwork world as of yet.

oooooKaayyyyy... no more kung fu movies for you!

Bear with me-- I've got more to add to this, but my internet connection has slowwwwwwwed tooo a crawwwwwlllllll. Aaaaargh! It's almost *painful* trying to upload anything. grumble grumble.


Tess

[Flurkiele]

Here's my work. Okay, so it's not exactally the same pattern, but it is a four-cord braid, so I thought it should fit. The long bars on the bottom were to fix some ackward endings. I didn't control my cord thickness as well as Tess, but that's the pen's fault.



PS- part of why it looks weird is that I took the picture at an odd angle.

[Flurkiele]

Here is the finished and fully colored version in "more or less" complementary colors. (The complement of blue is orange, not yellow-orange) It looks much better in color, IMHO, and also I took more care in photographing it. What do you think?

I really like this method of border-work and I think I'm going to stick with it. However, I was completely stumped by the double spade corners, so please cover that next!!



Notice it is actually three pieces. (Tiny blue peice w/ shorter bar at the bottom) I was reluctant to add a third color to my design, so I colored it blue to offset the large yellow bar.

Now, what to put in the center??

[CPM]

Tess! Another amazing tutorial!! I'll have to try these boarders as well.

Brian, We have our work cut out for us.

Flurkiele, Great first shot! Now that you've use the graph paper, you should be up to creating your own grid!!

- Chris

[Jakeally]

Wonderful tutorial Tess. Many thanks for doing this for us.
I have made both your tutorials into stickies so that they stay at the top of the forum and will be easy for everyone to find.

[TessDB]

Flurkiele-- Great job! And I love seeing a variation of the pattern. Do you see where it went odd (leading to the bars) & do you think you could do it without them?

Originally Posted by Flurkiele

I really like this method of border-work and I think I'm going to stick with it. However, I was completely stumped by the double spade corners, so please cover that next!!

Yep, braids & split-spades if (mighty big if) my internet connection isn't dog slow.

Chris (CPM Chris)-- Thanks! Let's see you combine a running border & the knotwork borders... You know you can do it!

Stickies? lil' ol' me? Thanks, Chris! Jakeally-Chris. Oy, too many "Chris" people... By the way.... haven't seen one from you yet.

Tess

[Flurkiele]

I can see it went odd but how?? I'm guessing that my vertical curves should have been added upon by one curve, or elso a curve should have been taken away, to make the vertical sides even-numbered. *Checks* Yes, 15 curves... must count them next time...

[TessDB]

Originally Posted by Flurkiele

I can see it went odd but how?? I'm guessing that my vertical curves should have been added upon by one curve, or elso a curve should have been taken away, to make the vertical sides even-numbered. *Checks* Yes, 15 curves... must count them next time...

Good girl!

And here's how I worked the pattern into one band:



The trick is to make it double back on itself asymetrically. Because when dealing with an even number of bands, symmetry is NOT your friend. If I were to use a pattern like this in a piece, I'd make that happen so it's a bit more hidden in the corners. But this works for the demo. And doesn't look all that bad, really.

Tess

[TessDB]

My connection seems to be zippy, so here's the next part!

Braids are one of my favorites to work with. First off, I’ve got a thing about threes. Second, so very very easy to make it into one band. Unlike the four-band plait, which has a natural inclination to stay four bands or become two.

So here’s the step by step of a braid. Notice that the curves on the bottom *do not* mirror the curves along the top. They’re offset by 1, straddling the juncture of the curves along the top. And once again, do as many as you want to feel comfortable. Unlike the four-band plait, a braid doesn’t really have any bars. It’s just overlapping curves.



Now, on to the split-spade corner. Those of you who did the triangles & pretzel project have already worked with these. The only difference is that the other side of the pretzel is at the other end of your border. Here’s the top portion of the corner.



Now draw the same thing going down the side. Notice the corner actually shares a line. Usually, that’s a no-no. But in this case it’s ok.



Add in your bars.



Now for the fun part. Because the split-spade shares a guideline, you’re going to have to just eyeball it, using that center line as the outside line of the bands. Also keep in mind that you’re dealing with two bands right next to each other when you’re doing your over/under pattern. I recommend starting at the corner & establishing the over/under. If I’m going to goof up on the weaving, this is where it usually goes wrong for me.



Continue drawing in your bands.



And as usual, erase & clean-up. And that’s it.



Ready to work it into a frame? Here we go!