Technique Tuesday: Italian Knotted Tassels

A tiny tassel that looks like berries.

Recently, I did a Pinterest search on Italian knotted tassels (my favorite) and sadly, found few pins.  (Visit my Embellishments board for a few historical examples.).  Ahhh, you've never heard of Italian knotted tassels?  What makes them so special?  First, they have a complex visual texture that draws the eye.  Depending on the yarn used, the knots can look like beads, pom poms or embroidery.  Second, knotted tassels have more volume than the usual kind.  A few strands of knots can make a tassel as large as a 100 strand normal variety. Third, these tassels don't swing and swish, they bounce!  They have an enormous amount of movement that is amazing to see; truly, they are an underutilized embellishment.

Pairs of knots to be strung

Making a knotted tassel is pretty straight-forward.  You take a doubled length of yarn, make a series of knots, cut out pairs of them, then string them onto another length of yarn with more knots.  For the basics, and pictures, jump to my previous post describing the process.

The look of these tassels can change dramatically with the yarn used.  Silks and wool yarns can have lot of sheen and make the knots look like beads - a very complex look for little effort.  Usually my tassels are a single color, but multicolored tassels are super-easy.  Make knots in the yarn colors of choice, then string the pairs of knots randomly or in a pattern.  Tiny multicolored tassels and fringe made of these tassels are shown in multiple examples in Fashion In Detail by Avril Hart and Susan North (see my list of reference books for  more info).  If you leave longer tails on your pairs of knots, that also changes the look. 

If you are looking for a simple, classy and inexpensive gift, what about a knotted tassel?  Make one from yarns in your stash, or go out and buy some inexpensive cotton in a pretty color.  Knot up a tassel and attach it to a keychain ring - you are done!  Trust me, it will look great.