I need your help to choose between two French knot designs. But, first, Happy Easter! Here’s one I made a lot earlier (circa early 1990s).
My parents are preparing to move nearer to me, and when having a sort out, they came across this and decided to pass it back to me. I can’t remember when I made this for my Dad, but I’m fairly sure it would’ve been when I was at primary school. A loooooooooong time ago!
Right, back to the task at hand. Inspired by the amazing work of Ambrosia Stitches and with a friend’s birthday on the horizon, I decided to have a go at some hand embroidery. Following the Ambrosia Stitches tutorial ‘A project that will make you love French knots’, I was aiming to create something like this, but for the letter ‘L’.
Having consulted my friend on her preferred colours – keeping it vague by saying I was making something for her new home – I decided to go for blues and greens. Two blues, two greens. I ordered some silk noile online, which ended up coming from someone who lives down the road (so to speak), so I’ll save myself the postage in future. My local haberdashery had never heard of silk noile. Neither had I. Thank god for the internet!
It didn’t take me too long to master French knots before I began. That was the easy bit. I’m still not sure what the centre of the letter ‘L’ is. For my first effort, I put off working that out for so long that I ended up with this instead.
Not exactly what I was aiming for. I wasn’t happy. So decided to have another go. This time, with a smaller ‘L’. And trying to create more of an ‘explosion’ of French knots, I have this.
I’m not 100% happy with that either. So, I need your help! Please comment and let me know which you prefer, or if you have any suggestions (start again?). Pretty please! I’d really appreciate it. Let’s call them Option 1 and Option 2.
Look forward to hearing your responses!
***UPDATE*** Well, that was unanimous! Option 1 it is.
theunfinishedcrafter 
I like Option 1 – just as it is, I think!
Thanks, Emily. Seems like I wasted an evening doing a second one. Ho hum! Still debating whether to add some more knots to it, or just leave it … See you tomorrow!
I love this effect! Never seen anything like it before, just using French knots. I like option 1; in fact I couldn’t see what you weren’t happy about!
Ha, thanks! I was unhappy that it didn’t look like the photo I was attempting to copy. Although that was for a letter A, therein lay the problem! I’ll go with a positive spin on it ‘It’s my own interpretation.’ 😉
Aw! Wow! This post has made my day! I had exactly the same trouble with letters that aren’t symetrical – oh the trouble I had with a letter “F” would fill a whole blog post!! I think option 1 is the one to go for. If I was going to make a suggestion it would be to have fewer knots around the edge of the letter (you’d be amazed how few you need) then start to radiate the knots “out” before there is a solid row of knots outlining the shape. Just some thoughts I learned through trial and error – I think what you have done looks great. Thank you again for the link and your generous comments xxx
I aim to please 😉 Thank you. I got so distracted by avoiding working out where to fill the space that before I knew it, I’d made the outline way too thick. The frustration I felt when I looked back at a photo of your letter A, well …. Hence, why I started again. I will only use symmetrical letters in future, which rules out all the ones I want to do. Hmmmm.
Option 1 🙂 you’ll have to give me of the details of where you got the silk from! Xx
Thanks. It’s from a company in Frimley Green. By the time I realised, it was too late to avoid the postage. Next time! http://www.thesilkroute.co.uk/page.php/about
My vote is for option 1 – it’s beautiful just the way it is.
Thank you so much! I’m trying to resist the temptation to tinker with it by adding more knots …
Definitely option 1, looks so so good (and it’s an ‘L’ so I like it even more!) think it’s harder to see the letter in option 2 as it’s more filled in.
Thanks, Lucy. Your comment on this and on my ‘death by chocolate torte’ have been languishing waiting for me to approve you as not being a spammer. You passed! And now your comments have been set free! Damn, I can’t palm Option 2 off onto you for your birthday then?! Who else has a name beginning with ‘L’ ….?
Option 1, or do more knots on 2 so it’s more evenly spread out- there are lots more knots in the top right of that one.
I did the concentration of knots on Option 2 deliberately. I was trying to work out from the centre of the shape. But, it didn’t work well! Think I’ll stick to outlines in future! Thank you for voting!
I agree. I love option 1!
A popular choice 😉 Thank you for sharing your opinion. I wasn’t sure I’d get any responses, so pleased I did.