Chinese women believed they could find a husband by throwing a ball knot.
Chinese knots come in various forms, each having its own meaning. One of its forms is the brocade ball knot. During the Tang Dynasty, this knot was used by women who had difficulty in choosing a husband. The woman would throw the ball knot to a group of men and whoever caught the ball would be the woman's husband. The brocade ball knot was believed to be a symbol of long lasting marital bliss. This Chinese ball knot is actually made up of five clover leaf knots tied together to form a ball.
Instructions
1. Make a clover leaf knot. Using a 12-inch long cord, form it in the shape of an M and secure it using pins. Then, take the curve on the right of the letter M and insert it under the left curve forming a side loop. Take the end and insert it over the side loop forming a bottom loop. You now have two bottom loops, one from the newly made bottom loop while the other is from the middle curve of the letter M.
2. Take the end and insert it into the left bottom loop going all the way to the right bottom loop. Then, take the end and insert it into the left loop. Tighten the ends to form three loops, one top loop and two side loops. A diamond-shaped knot is formed in the middle. You have made a three-leaf clover knot.
3. Make two more clover leaf knots attaching it to the side loops of your previously made clover leaf knot. Using the ends of the three clover leaf knots, make a fourth clover leaf attaching it below the middle clover leaf knot.
4. Use the ends to make the last clover leaf knot. Attach the last clover leaf knot to the lower loops of the right and left clover leaf knot. You will form three big ears, two at the sides and one on top with a ball-like shape in the middle and two loose ends at the bottom.
Tags: clover leaf, clover leaf knot, leaf knot, bottom loop, ball knot