Knots!

[triskellian]

After stopping work for the day yesterday, I started learning how to design Celtic knotwork, using a calligraphy sourcebook I bought in Avebury this summer. This one is my third attempt: the first wasn't all that interesting and the second rather Cththuloid, but I planned this one deliberately to get the effect I was after, and I'm quite pleased with it. It's destined to be knitwear, I think; I started charting how to knit it last night, and I'll probably also turn it into a clean image for iconifying, but it'll all take some time, and I have to try not to let it distract me from essay-writing too much ;-)

Comments

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

I want to see the second one, post the second one!

[triskellian]

There's a closed loop in there that's an unpleasant blob shape, and various bits look kinda tentacular to me...

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

Mmm... tentacles...

[metame.livejournal.com]

You could turn the 'unpleasant blob' into a heart shape with a very small amount of tweaking - sort of 'pulling out the two ) shaped curves into } shapes' for the middle one. I guess it stops it being authentic, but surely Hearts + Tentacles = Fab!

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Nice work !

I wouldn't clean it up too much for the icon, though. Pencil-strokes make a nice texture.

[triskellian]

Thanks :-) I'm probably just going to redraw it, more neatly, and on plain paper, and use that.

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

Oooh, what book? That's a really lovely knot, and would look great knitted.

[triskellian]

Thank you :-) It was Jack Mackinder's Celtic Design and Ornament for Calligraphers. Which, I might add, I bought specifically with the aim of designing knotwork to knit (I have dabbled in calligraphy, but never got to the stage of producing anything sufficiently beautiful or useful).

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

Thanks! the_original1 has talked about designing his own knotwork, and I bought him a book on it, but it wasn't very good. I think it's aimed too much at the trendy, scrapbooking kind of crowd. I know we've still got it, but I can't remember what it's called.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Nice! Good to see that knots needn't necessarily be Cthulhoid.

[triskellian]

You're just saying that to correct my spelling, aren't you? ;-)

[lathany.livejournal.com]

Pretty.

But this knitting stuff is all a lie isn't it? You just wanted to design another icon.

<runs>

[triskellian]

No! This way I get to kill indulge two birds obsessions with one, umm, stone :-)

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

Ooo - pretty!!! What book did you use?

[triskellian]

Thanks! It was Jack Mackinder's Celtic Design and Ornament for Calligraphers.

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

Neat! *wishlists*

[a-llusive.livejournal.com]

I used to do a lot of that sort of thing (possibly less well) in my late teens. I'll see if I can find you any of my old resources.

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

Oooh! And then post it somewhere other people can see, too?