Celtic Knot Tutorial and Free Pattern

If you're a regular reader of this blog and you've seen my designs then you will know how much I love Celtic knots. I love them so much that my designs can grow to be quite big and this may make them look a bit daunting. This tutorial is going to show you how knots are formed and how even big designs are easier to tackle than you might think.

You will need:

• about 4 metres of stranded cotton in a colour of your choice and a needle
• a piece of 14-count Aida or 28-count evenweave which is about 4 inches (10cm) square
• this free pattern which you can download instantly from my shop. (Even though it's in my shop, you will not be charged a penny for this pattern.)

Celtic knotwork is made up of different 'strands' which are woven together to create an intricate pattern. Some of them are created using just one strand which has been cleverly turned into a beautiful knot. To find out how many strands there are in a knot, pick a starting point and trace the path of the strand with your finger. Sometimes you end up back where you started and sometimes you will find there are several different journeys to take. The knot in this tutorial is made up of three strands.

My Celtic designs often have a stencilled look and so they are made up of little sections that look like this:

According to the famous Chinese proverb, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. So for now, let's not worry about the size of the whole knot and instead let's work it one little section at a time. Mark off each part of the pattern as you work it so you don't lose your place.

Note: if you are working a knot which has more then one colour, I recommend threading each different colour into a separate needle; this will save a lot of time and also make working the design much easier.

So, by taking the design one tiny section at a time you will soon see the knot start to grow before your eyes:

It will take several hours but in a couple of evenings or a weekend, you will soon find yourself with this beautiful knot:

This design is perfect for greetings cards or how about making yourself a set of coasters? You'll soon feel ready to tackle one of my bigger Celtic designs which you can find here. You can find me on Twitter and Facebook if you have any questions or you can comment below. Happy stitching!

Photos and design (c) Karen Eley/The Hawthorn Tree 2015.