Where is the line between knots and decorative foofoo like knitting, macrame and braiding?
Hi Wakey.
I don’t think there is a hard and fast “line”. I believe it is a personal choice, but there has to be some organizational method of determining this.
One could take a number of practical knots, say Figure 8’s or Carricks, tie them in a series and make a necklace or bracelet with them and that would be considered decorative.
There are some practical knots that are so good looking that they are a pleasure just to look at. Art if you will.
There are decorative knots that would never be employed to do a task.
It is in the use of the knot that I believe the distinction comes.
Just my input.
SS
Tangential, as a new tyer I’m drawn to some of the more…iconic knots. The classic hangman’s noose fun to tie, has a clean look and easily understandable methodology. But, it’s completely inappropriate for public display.
One good knot to know is a monkey fist. It can be used for many devorative purposes, and will look amazing, but is not that hard to tie, and it still has the practical purpose of weighting the end of the rope, and containing objects. Teaching people knots, it is almost always the first “complicated” knot i teach them; it is at a great point between practical and decorative. Also, it makes very nice flails and is extremely fun to spin around in circles and to hit things with. I have a whole colection i use for nothing but this purpose. This is a knot i highly recomend you learn.