11 Forum messages

• Answers 25 June 2008 22:09, by Gayle

  Hi, I’m working on these knots and I don’t see how you got the answer for the first triangle in row three of the second exercise sheet. the answer is the first triangle of the last row on your answer page.

  Can you explain this one?

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  • Follow the wall, round the corner, follow the wall... 27 March 2009 23:10, by Christian Mercat

    Dear Gayle,

    I’m sorry but I can not explain any graph in particular, not that I am mean or anything, but because the explanation is exactly the same as for the others: Follow the wall, round the corner, follow the wall...

    Another way to look at that is to turn right/left/right/left etc going in zig-zag at every step when following edges.

    Keep me informed, best regards, Ch. M.

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• Answers 27 March 2009 21:10, by Welsh Girl

  Thank you for this page! I have been searching far and wide for some examples of Celtic knots for some embroidery I am doing, but found most designs to be too complex. These illustrations are simple but beautiful — just what I needed! After years of wishing I could draw Celtic knots, I was able to embroider a lovely design in one evening, using these illustrations as a guide. What a wonderful resource.

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  • Thanks! 27 March 2009 23:13, by Christian Mercat

    Dear Welsh girl,

    I am pleased to hear that! Please feel free to email me some of your creations, I’ll post it with the other contributions.

    Best regards, Ch.M.

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    • Thanks! 30 December 2009 21:42, by Welsh Girl

      I can’t find your email address on the site, or any other way to post a sample.

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      • Leave YOUR email! 4 January 2010 10:49, by Christian Mercat

        Dear Welsh girl,
        Indeed, my email is not available, but you can put your own email as an identifier, only visible for myself and I will get back to you by email. You can as well ask google and you will find my institutional email on my webpage. Best regards, happy new year 2010, Christian Mercat

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        • Leave YOUR email! 24 January 2010 23:58, by Auralie Jones

          Thank you for the tip, I’ll do that!

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• Answers 25 August 2009 07:48, by Michelle

  Hi Christian,
  I am trying to tidy up my knots, your tutorials are very helpful, but freehand drawing leaves the knot looking a bit wobbly and messy. I read somewhere that it was thought that celtic tribes used a compass or something to do their knot patterns. I was wondering if there is a way of tidying up the artwork so I can use it for a dress I am designing.
  Kind regards Michelle
  P.S. also I was wondering what drew you to these knots, given you do mathematics??

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  • Tidying things up 25 August 2009 19:12, by Christian Mercat

    Dear Michelle,

    Thanks for the post. Yes, it’s possible to tidy up a freehand knot. Express yourself, then apply the Extraction algorithm to recognize the (simple!) graph that encodes your creation. Then adjust it a notch here and straighten it there, and you can then reproduce your graph on your skirt or anywhere.

    I don’t know about Celtic compass, sorry.

    Keep me informed, regards, Christian

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• A kind of puzzle 5 March 2011 19:18, by The Witch

  Hi Christian

  forget Sudoku and try to create celtic knots from graphs. When I saw a video about constructing celtic knots, I began to try and looked for more information. So my favorites are "Celtic Design" from Aidan Meehan (perfect for beginners) ,an article in "ethomatematic" (do you remember - it was yours in 2/2006) and - wow - this tutorial.
  Meetings are not the same as before. I needed two days to understand. But now it is clear to me. Even duality. It is better than Sudoku and my collegues are deeply impressed. Do you know a program, which translates graphs into knots?
  Just to see if my solution is ok...
  Oh I have so much fun the last days!

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  • Programs 6 March 2011 10:23, by Christian Mercat

    Dear Witch,

    Thanks for your post. Yes, Aidan Meehan’s books are indeed a very good buy.

    I am very pleased that you get the idea, including duality, which few people understand, because they don’t work long enough to venture into difficult territories and therefore they don’t feel the need for it.

    As for computer programs,
     the best one is Knotsbag by Géraud Bousquet,
     but David Legland’s work is as well very good.
     I have no news from Steven Abbott for a long time but it used to be a very good solution for windows.

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