Knotty Problems: The Complexity of the Knot in Sewing

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to consider how the knot in plain sewing can represent a node within a larger human, social, and ritual analogy. Knots in hand sewing bind thread into stitches fixed to the desired area by securing each end of a seam or hem and connecting different thread lengths to make a longer one. Thus, knots enable fabric and thread to be turned into craftwork, and determine the identity of the work itself: its appearance, durability and stability. Besides its functional meaning, the knot is loaded with symbolism. Its ambiguous materiality has given the knot a crucial place in magic and religion, as well as in the formal and the social sciences. It may represent the durability of a relationship and, within it, the interdependence of the parties, or a problem that is hard or even impossible to solve; it can also assume a connotation of impurity, though not necessarily in a negative sense. Within this wider context, the combination of practice and theory can help identify some knotty problems.

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