The Chinese button knot is essentially a knife lanyard knot where the lanyard loop is shortened to a minimum, i.e. tightened to the knot itself. There emerges therefore only two lines next to each other from the knot: the beginning and the end. The knot has traditionally been used as a button on clothes in Asia, thus the name.

Tying

The basic chinese button knot (ABOK #599 on one string) is usually tied with a carrick bend that attaches the two ends as a first step. This results then in a knife lanyard knot (ABOK #787) where the loop part can be sized and used as a button hole, while the knot part can be used as a button. File:Knife-lanyard-knot-ABOK-787-Carrick-start.jpg, Tying starts with a diagonal carrick bend (two colors for clarity) File:Knife-lanyard-knot-ABOK-787-Over-standing.jpg, Ends continue around and over the standing part on the other side File:Knife-lanyard-knot-ABOK-787-Through-center.jpg, Ends under the knot and up through the middle hole together File:Knife-lanyard-knot-ABOK-787-Final.jpg, Tightened to a spherical basket weave, ends opposite standing parts Below is the ABOK description, and several video demonstration references: There is however a tying method that does not require a carrick bend, rather a slip knot as a first step, and does not produce a lanyard loop that needs to be reduced when used as a button. This method provides just the button, a spherical basket weave knot, in the style of Turk's head knot. File:ÇiftipteDügme ilmekten 1.jpg, Starting with a slip knot with the slip end at top right. File:ÇiftipteDügme ilmekten 2.jpg, The slip end over the left side up and thru slip for 2 symmetrically interwoven slips. File:ÇiftipteDügme ilmekten 3.jpg, One of the ends continues to bend and is pushed down the nearest triangular hole at center File:ÇiftipteDügme ilmekten 4.jpg, The other end continues to bend and is pushed down the other triangular hole at center File:ÇiftipteDügme ilmekten 5.jpg, The resulting flat flower has 4 symmetric petals and two stems File:ÇiftipteDügme ilmekten 6.jpg, Tightening like an umbrella (not like a wine glass), and pulling the middle out File:ÇiftipteDügme ilmekten 7.jpg, With the middle point at top, it becomes a 9 bulge sphere. A third way to tie this knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl_hVULhBbw How You Can Tie The Chinese Button Knot -by whyknot starts with two loops almost like tying the celtic button knot, except for the curvature change at the center which results in the way the ends exit the knot; at opposite sides for celtic, at the same side here. File:ÇiftipteDügme halkadan 1.jpg, one overhand loop File:ÇiftipteDügme halkadan 2.jpg, another partially overlapping underhand loop behind File:ÇiftipteDügme halkadan 3.jpg, third loop bends back an weaves File:ÇiftipteDügme halkadan 4.jpg, fourth loop completes the symmetry File:ÇiftipteDügme halkadan 5,jpg.jpg, the middle point at top pulled out File:ÇiftipteDügme halkadan 6.jpg, tightened to a 9 bulge sphere The resulting knot in both tying methods (slip-knot method and two-loops or whyknot method) is ABOK #600 which is similar to knife lanyard knot but the loop part is reduced to the top center bulge on its surface. Which triangular hole at the S formed/back bent top center each end is tucked thru in both tying methods makes a difference: * tucking thru the one at near side of the center as indicated by red lines i
this
image gives ABOK #600 the 8 part knot, of which the common chinese button knot is a version with a 9th surface part, * tucking thru the one at opposite side as indicated by red lines i
this
image gives ABOK #787 the knife lanyard knot but with a retreated loop. File:ÇiftipteDügmeD3 ABOKnr601.jpg, Chinese button knot Doubled ABOK #601 flat, with one end from outside all the way File:ÇiftipteDügmeD1.jpg, Chinese button knot Doubled ABOK #601 flat, with one end from outside all the way, ends passing each other before reversing File:ÇiftipteDügmeD2 ABOKnr603.jpg, Chinese button knot Doubled ABOK #603 flat, with each end from following from outside File:ÇiftipteDügmeD4 ABOKnr601.jpg, Chinese button knot Doubled ABOK #601 tightened version

References

Decorative knots Stopper knots {{knot-stub

Tying

See also

References