I hate French knots!!!!! GRRRRRRR!

Well I would hate french knots if I could figure out how to make one of the stupid things. I either end up with a plain stitch or a knot way up the thread somewhere. Can anyone explain this really well or have a site to help me out?

Dana (yes the same idiot who has the tablecloth with no instructions and another tablecloth the wrong size with instructions......sheeesh LOL)

Reply to
Dana Compton
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For me, there are three things that I have to do carefully to make a fairly good french knot. First, keep the thread that is wrapped around the needle wrapped *tight* by holding the thread tightly. Second, taking the needle through the fabric fairly slowly so that the tension stays tight. Third, making sure that I don't pull too much when making the next stitch.

Wish I could explain it better.

Tracey

Reply to
Tracey

I think Tracey explained it as well as one can explain a french knott. Once I have wrapped the thread around the needle 'tightly', I also hold the soon to be knot against the fabric 'tightly' and I pull very slow, adjusting the thread where needed to insure the knot stays on the fabric and not up the thread. I have been known to finish by cheating and sewing the tiniest stitch to hold the french knot from pulling through. :)

It took me years to sew a french knot properly. All I can say is practice, practice practice OR cheat, cheat, cheat. Good Luck, Makeitmine

Reply to
Makeitmine

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Reply to
Makeitmine

Dianne's site (

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) has directions for working a French knot. Others have given good advice about pulling the thread taut around the needle but no one has reminded us to hold the thread AWAY from you when you wrap it around the needle and then rotating the needle back towards yourself to put it into the desired spot on the fabric. When doing Fr. Knots, I wrap the thread, set the point of my needle firmly in the fabric and THEN pull the thread tight around the needle and down against the fabric. DO NOT try to wrap the thread firmly around the needle until you have the needle set into the fabric. I steady the needle with my right hand, gently pull the wrapped thread around the needle so that it slides down firmly against the fabric. Then I gently hold the firmly wrapped thread (knot and loose end) against the fabric with my left thumb nail (but you can use whichever finger is easiest for you) while I slowly pull the needle through the fabric. As was mentioned, you need to practice, practice, practice. Don't start off practicing assuming you will make French knots perfectly after the first few tries. Just remember to go slowly at first. If you have an LNS anywhere nearby, take a scrap of fabric, needle and floss in and ask them to show you how to make French Knots. It's SO much easier to understand when you have actually watched someone do it! Good Luck & CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

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Reply to
Tia Mary

Dana Compton said

I skimmed the other answers and might have missed this important tip: when doing knots, it helps a lot, if not a 'must', if the fabric is in a hoop. You might have an easier time doing colonial knots. To me, a colonial knot looks like a figure eight around the needle -- over, under, around, and through. Classic Stitches has a good diagram:

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Reply to
anne

Everyone has given really great advice. Let me add one more:

Use beads instead.

Reply to
LizardGumbo

Best wishes, Ericka

Reply to
Ericka Kammerer

French knots can be difficult because most of the directions these days are not for an actual French knot, but an Americanized version, some quite close to a Peking knot.

Done correctly, you needn't hold the thread tight for the entire process. I discovered this phenomena while doing tons of them. But watch and follow the video until you're more sure of yourself.

Here's a video to download and graphics to follow:

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Reply to
Dianne Lewandowski

What a great video. I do the knots just that way but I know, and I've tried with a friend, that I can't explain it clearly.

Lucille

Reply to
Lucille

That's very kind. I occasionally get an email expressing enthusiasm for making the knots after viewing the video. Always makes me feel good that it's helpful.

Dianne

Reply to
Dianne Lewandowski

The video is good but I have a question for all of you. It shows wrapping the thread around the needle TWICE. I have always been taught to wrap once. I find it is really easy to make a French knot if you wrap ONCE rather than Twice. If you need a larger knot you should add another strand of floss.

Alice

Reply to
astitcher

If I have a bunch of F.K. to do then I will use more strands of floss and wrap fewer times. I think it just makes the whole process go quicker. Of course, when looking at stitch directions included with different designs, it's all over the place when talking French Knots! it seems to depend on the designer -- some want fewer strands and more wraps, others just the opposite. Personally, I would never wrap more than once unless I was going for a specific look. Too many wraps and the durned thing ends up looking like a defective bullion stitch -- LOL! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

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Reply to
Tia Mary

I also found french knots difficult. I would follow the instructions exactly and get crap.

I eventually solved the problem by seeking out different sets of instructions from different places until I found one that worded things in just the way that made me go "A-ha!! I need to do that, that way and then it will work."

So, my advice is to keep doing what you are doing - and keep seeking out different explanations until you find the one that makes sense to you.

Reply to
explorer

That's what I meant when I said there are Americanized versions of the French knot and many instructions are similar to a Peking knot and not a French knot by any stretch of the imagination.

French knots were originally called twisted knot stitch. The thread is wrapped twice around the needle. It is the twisting back and to the right that gives it an extra half twist, holds the knot securely, and makes it unique, rounded, and as some embroiderers say: formal.

If you want a larger knot, you use a larger thread or add strands of floss.

If you wrap more than twice you have a bullion knot.

To see for yourself what a French knot looks like done the way the video explains it (as well Dillmont, Thomas and other authorities), use a very thick thread and a large needle. Thick such as candlewicking thread or No. 3 pearl (even No. 5 might do it for you). Then do it the way you see some watered down directions and you will definitely see the difference. Then, go look up Peking knot and make one.

Dianne

Reply to
Dianne Lewandowski

Try looking at this site:

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- look at Dianne's video:
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Don't say idiot - just, well, having some stitchin' circumstances beyond control

ellice

Reply to
ellice

LOL - a couple of weeks ago I went to a class to give us some more time, that I'd taken at a Stitch Away Retreat in April. It was on filling stitches, with Michelle of Michelle Ink teaching. Several of the stitches require picots, traditionally. However, Michelle, and one of the other students were quick to point out that life is too short, and beads make great picots!

Ellice

Reply to
ellice

I never could get the hang of French Knots. Colonial knots changed my life. :-)

Cindy

Reply to
teleflora

First, keep the thread that is wrapped around

For me, learning this step was vital to making a decent French knot. I love them, but in ndlpt, there's little call for them. Once saw a tablecloth loaded with them - formed bunches of grapes in various shades of purple..

Reply to
val189

Well, I'll be go to heck. I made French Knots. Lots of them. They are quicker than Colonial knots. Except for using the hoop. If I just have a few, I will probably continue with the Colonials. But if I have a bunch, it's gonna be French Knots, all the way

Thank you so much for posting this.

Cindy

Reply to
teleflora

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