Book of Decorative Knots

Book was a lot better than the expensive one I got before. Not as many knots, but all are very detailed.

This is a good book, although it doesn't have nice illustrations it has very good information.

I bought this because of the instructions for the Monkey Fist knot. I saw these little buttons on sale in Liberty's of London some years ago and they were so pretty that I've wanted to learn them ever since but didn't know what they were called. The book itself is a basic guide for decorative knots and it does require some time and patience to work out what some the diagrams represent and then what you're supposed to do as you tighten the knots. I spent a whole evening for example struggling with the eight turn bloodknot before realising that you twist it round itself as you pull it up until there is one twist for every turn in the knot. The diagrams were perfectly correct, the problem was the end user not knowing what would happen as the knot was tightened. That said, the drawings are reasonably clear although you should as with any craft study them with care, but I wouldn't have said this was a book for the complete beginner. There are no colour photographs or pictures of finished knotwork to serve as inspiration, and the diagrams are all black and white line drawings. The book however is a good size for carrying around so that you can practise the knots on the move. It's softback and serves as a good introduction though you will probably soon start looking for more detailed material.

I found this book to be a wonderful resource. It has clear diagrams for each knot, easily followed if one is a beginning knot tyer. It also covers knots not usually found in sailing and climbing (functional) knot manuals. This is a great starter book for those who are not certain they are "into" knotting yet, as it is quite inexpensive. Happy knotting!