Sacred Knots: Create, Adorn, and Transform through the Art of Knotting

A bright and vibrant guide to contemporary knot making—learn knotting basics, create gorgeous pieces, and discover a meditative and meaningful crafting practice.

The ancient craft of knotting connects our past to our present, helping us tap into ancestral wisdom and dream for the future, while grounding us in the present moment. It offers a meditative break from our busy lives, calming the mind in a tactile and engaging way. Through a journey of creative exercises and projects, this book offers tools to form a knotting practice that will fuel creativity and inspire mindfulness.

With illustrated step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn to tie basic knots and then develop skills further to create larger projects that focus on color and experimentation with unconventional materials. Along the way, you’ll discover how to adapt knot tying to your own personal creative practice, use it as a way to manifest intentions, and embrace it as a platform for meditation. Projects such as the Pipa Knot Earrings, Sun Worshipper Statement Necklace, Colorblock Woven Knot Panel, and Double Coin Curtain go beyond the basics to incorporate various fiber art mediums and craft techniques spanning cord wrapping, jewelry making, macramé, tassel making, and more.

LISE SILVA GOMES is a multidisciplinary artist and writer based in Oakland, CA. She explores the power of symbols, meditation, and lineage by creating fiber jewelry and wall hangings with thread-wrapped cord entwined in knot designs that serve as visual metaphors for dreams and experiences. In 2013, she created a line of knot-based art, accessories, and jewelry called Sacred Knots and later began a project called Wovenutopia that explores the ancestry and legacy of fiber techniques. She speaks, writes, and illustrates around creativity ethics and developing intentional, community-grounded art practices as an extension of her popular booklet Craft & Practice.