Monday 8 May 2023

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 250: Danish Knot Chain Stitch

At first, I didn't know what to call this week's stitch but finally settled on Danish Knot Chain Stitch. 

I found the stitch in Totsuka Embroidery Stitch Book 6, 


where its Japanese description translated into English would be: 'like a Cable Stitch followed by Lazy Daisy Stitch repeatedly'.

The excellent Totsuka hand embroidery books are packed with basic stitches and masses of variations. Unfortunately,  the stitches have only rarely been given a proper name. Instead, they are often described, as you saw in the example above.

When there is a name, it seldom corresponds with one known in most Western countries. I don't know where Madam Totsuka gets her vocabulary from, but what she calls Cable Stitch is nothing like what we in English call Cable Stitch, nor is it the Cable Chain Stitch. It is known to us as Danish Knot Stitch. Her German Knot Stitch is the same as Sorbello Stitch. 

The difference between Danish Knot (Sunday Stitch School #4) and Sorbello Stitch (TAST #152) is that the former is shaped like a triangle and the latter a square. Complicated? Oh, yes! 

I made a sampler to compare the stitches and their names:

Names found in most Western stitch dictionaries



The names used in Totsuka's books


.........................
Anyway here is today's stitch:


















Homework: Add the Danish Knot Chain to these samplers.





6 comments:

https://linsartyblobs.blogspot.com said...

I like this stitch. Different names for the same stitch can be quite confusing but interesting.

Angela said...

That is a beautiful stitch!

Rachel said...

That's a very intriguing stitch! And yes, the Naming Of Stitches is a bit confusing...

carorose said...

The name of these stitches needs to be standardised but I'm sure no one, including me, would have the courage to do so!

Toki said...

I also get confused when stitch names are different.
This stitch that people can see is like Cirque du Soleil if the bottom person is on a big ball.

Annet said...

Such a funny stitch, it looks like a doll!