Faux French Knots

Hate French knots? Try Colonial knots instead

Hi stitching friends!

Have you seen the movie “Julie & Julia”? It’s not new, but I had the chance to rewatch it recently. The screenplay (by the amazing Nora Ephron) follows Julia Child learning to cook in Paris and Julie Powell, a young blogger working her way through Julia Child’s iconic cookbook and blogging about her culinary disasters and triumphs.

Amy Adams is charming as Julie, but Meryl Streep (as always) steals the show as a gloriously enthusiastic expat searching for something to do while her husband works as a U.S. diplomat. She throws herself into French food, the French markets and the French love for butter.

Paris is on my bucket list; almost at the top. Everything French seems so chic, oui?

Which brings me to French knots. Is there anything sweeter than these little swirling stacks of texture sprinkled across a piece of slow stitching? What’s that you say? You despise French knots with a burning red hot flame of hatred? Not the way these little darlings look, of course, but stitching them could leave you cursing and sweating in a very un-chic way.

I have an idea for you. A way to put a little faux in your French knot. Well, it’s still a knot, but I find it much easier to stitch. It’s called the Colonial knot.

To help compare looks, I threaded up three strands of floss and worked both styles of knots in a line around a circle and then used each to fill a circle. The filled stitches look quite a bit different, while the line work is pretty much the same. (Be sure to note the big mess I made of one of the French knots in the filled circle :-))

Here’s the good news: I think you’ll find the Colonial knots much easier than French knots once you get the hang of them.

I don’t mind stitching French knots, but for me, the wrapping action and the tension causes the floss to twist and tangle. Twice in filling this circle the size of a quarter coin, I had to cut a knot out of the floss, rethread my needle and deal with a loose end.

I don’t have that issue at all when working Colonial knots. I also find it easier to make Colonial knots look more consistent.

As a fill stitch, each gives a different look. I’m not sure I prefer one of the other but I like the fact that I’m not dealing with tangles when working Colonial knots.

Scroll down for a video tutorial on Colonial knots.

As pointed out in the video, the key is to keep a bit of tension on the working thread. The same is true for French knots. For me, that tension requirement means having to use a hoop when doing these stitches. (Actually, I can eke out a few Colonial knots without a hoop, but it can be tricky to not pull the thread between the knots too tight, causing the fabric between them to bunch up.)

So, what do you think? French knots: Love them, hate them?

Until next time,

Happy stitching!

—Janice