The Year of Knots: Modern Projects, Inspiration, and Creative Reinvention - Hardcover

by Windy Chien (Author)

"Knots symbolize many things, from tension, to energy, to love. The Year of Knots explores all of those things, as Windy Chien brings her gift for storytelling, her passion for her craft, and her straightforward teaching style to this gorgeous knot-making guide." ―Lisa Congdon, artist, author, illustrator

Here are instructions and projects that celebrate the diverse beauty and creative possibilities of macrame and knots. Whether you are an expert at knot tying, have experience with macrame, or are new to knots, projects abound: a necklace, a dog leash, along with wall hangings and a hanging light. At the heart of the story is the simple, empowering idea that a single year is all the time you need to make a life-changing creative leap. Contents feature:

• Doughnut Knot
• Gift Knot
• Gold Chain Sinnet
• Four-Ply Single-Strand Lanyard Knot
• Constrictor Knot
• Cowboy's Pretzel Flat Knot
• Captain Hardy's Eye Splice
• And more!

Every day for a year, artist Windy Chien learned to tie a new kind of knot and then shared the results on Instagram--revolutionizing knot art and reinventing her life and career in the process. In The Year of Knots, Chien describes how her knot-making project led her on a path of discovery.

The book combines projects, tutorials, and transformative personal stories, all aimed at inspiring readers to make knotting--and creativity in general--part of a meditative daily practice. The knots in the book are gorgeously documented step-by-step for the many knot- and macramé-obsessed readers out there wanting to try it themselves.

Windy says in her introduction that "knots are little miracles of science." Readers will feel the same way because of Windy's incredible enthusiasm, knowledge, and talent.

Author Biography

Windy Chien works at the intersection of function, design, history, and aesthetics to illuminate what is most fascinating about knots: the journey of the line. Her sculpture ranges in size from a knot that can fit in the palm of a child's hand to majestic, room-sized installations. Following long careers at Apple and in the music industry, she launched her studio in 2015. Chien's clients include IBM, the Four Seasons, and the National Geographic Society, and her work has been covered by Wired, the New York Times and Martha Stewart.