More Complex Knots

Can you believe that it's actually 2017?!?! I hope you all had fun on New Years! Today we'll be going over two more tie knots in the chapter, Bold Knots. It will be pretty much the same format as my previous post, as the knots are still a lot more complex. Hope you all enjoy!

To start things off I'll be going over how to tie The Murrell. The author's description of this knot is as follows: "This knot is the adventuresome alter ego of the traditional Windsor knot. At the end of the steps you will find that the tail end lies in front of the wide end of the tie, resulting in a major play that no one would expect" (Jin 64). This is most likely the weirdest knot I have seen in this book. As for how I will apply it to my life, I probably won't end up using it for more formal occasions. This is because to a lot of people it might just look like I tied my tie wrong, which won't really send a good message. However, I might use it for less formal events such as the play I talked about in my previous post. After practicing the knot more and more I realized that I really didn't like it that much. The small end of the tie in front of the wide end just looks too weird. So in my opinion, I wouldn't really recommend this knot, but if you want to try it go ahead. Below as usual is a video of me tying this knot so that you all can see how to do it. Let me know if you find a use for it!

The final knot for this post has a bit of a weird name, but I have to say looks pretty amazing. According to Jin, The Van Wijk is pleasingly sculptural, and is best used with a thinner tie to make the knot easier to preform. Also, you are able to adjust the spaces between the overlapping section for the look you want (Jin 77). This is one of the more intricate knots in the chapter, and I really like the look of it. I won't be applying it if I need a quick tie, but if I have the time to properly tie it I feel that I can use it for almost any occasion. It's simple enough to were people won't think it's too bold, but it also looks really amazing. This knot will definitely make an appearance at one of my events because I really do like the structure of it. If you have the time and the patience to tie this, I would definitely recommend trying it out. Just like before, below is a series of pictures explaining how to tie it. Enjoy!

Start with the wide end on the right and the small 

on the left, cross the wide end over the small end 

Loop the wide end around the small end 

Loop it around again 

Loop it around again 

Tuck the wide end through the neck loop

from underneath 

Tuck the wide end through all 3 loops made

I feel like these knots have taught me a combination of the lessons previously learned. They taught me to appreciate the little things, since they do take some time so I might as well enjoy it. Also, they taught me to look closer at things and not judge a book by its cover, since you never know how beautiful something may actually be. Along with those two key lessons I was also taught to appreciate what other people do. To appreciate the time they spend doing things that many other people may not notice. These knots aren't knots that you can just whip out in 30 seconds, they take a bit to get right. If I took the time out of my day to do this and someone recognized me for that, I would definitely feel good. Everyone has something they spend time doing, whether that's making sure they look nice, organizing their desk drawers, anything really. I have truly learned to appreciate the time that people put into things like that. Not very many people compliment others for something as little as a tie, but I've realized that you should. I guarantee it will make them feel good and raise their spirits. So if you see someone who's clearly put a lot of work into something, compliment them. You'll put a smile on their face, and I'm betting there will be a smile on your's too.

I hope you've all enjoyed this post. There's only one more to go! Again, hope you all had a good New Years, and now I'll turn it over to you: What are some things that you take the time out of your day to do? Has anyone recognized you for that? Have you tried any of these knots?

Jin, Ryan Tristan. How to Tie a Tie a Gentleman's Guide to Getting Dressed. New York: Potter Style, 2015. Print.

Complex Knots

What's up everyone, like I said before I wanted to try to get at least one more post out over break, and here it is! I hope you all had a great holiday season! Enjoy!

So for this post I'm going to do a slightly different format since the knots are getting more and more complex. Instead of going over 4 knots I'm just going to really focus on two and put a video and then some step by step pictures to show you all how to make these knots. Here we go!

The first knot that I will be learning how to do and teaching you about is called the Diagonal. According to Jin, this knot is best used when you have a tie with thin light fabric, and should be made when wearing a solid color tie because otherwise the patterns on the tie distract the viewer from the shape of the knot (Jin 83). This will definitely be useful for me when I use my light blue or purple ties because they are a solid color. With the use of this knot, I can add a little flare to my outfit, despite the uniform tie. Also, this knot just looks cool, so if I can actually pull off making it correctly it will be a nice looking knot that I'll probably use for any of my ties. I found that when trying to make the knot I had a really hard time getting the wide end of the tie in front of the small end when finished. After trying for a while I noticed that with the way the knot is tied, the wide end does drift toward the back behind the small end. So if you are able to get this to end up correctly please let me know because I can't seem to figure out how to make it look 100% correct. Below is a video of me attempting this knot, please note that I'm not really doing this perfectly, I'm just doing my best. Hope you like it!

The second knot that I'll be going over in this post is called The Miniature. The author states, "As the name implies, this knot is very small. Unlike other, well-known styles, the narrower end of the tie leads the action. You will notice that the reverse side of the tie is visible on the finished knot" (Jin 87). This knot will be another one of those knots that I'll most likely use just for fun. I'll be able to use it when I have a concert to express myself a bit in my outfit, or when my family goes out to see a play like we do around Christmas time. No matter what I end up using this for, it is the simplest one in this chapter, so unless I find myself completely mastering one of the other ones, it will most likely be the one I use most often. Instead of just showing you the knot like I usually do, I decided to take step-by-step pictures of how to tie it, seeing as I'm only going over two knots this time. Hopefully you can find a use for it!

By the way, I am doing this on the ground because it is easier for me to do it that way, but you are able to do it around you neck if you wish.

First, lay the tie out as shown above 

Create a loop with the skinny end of the tie 

Make a knot with the skinny end using the loop 

Tighten enough to allow the wide end to fit through 

Tuck the wide end through the knot and tada!

Now it's time for life lessons with Logan! :P
Looking back on what I've learned here, I'd say this chapter especially has shown me that you can't really judge a book by its cover. All of the knots up to this point have been pretty uniform and look fairly similar, but in this chapter the author is really showing some interesting looking knots. Most people who read this will most likely gloss over it because no one really pays attention to how you tie the knot, they only care about you having the tie itself. However, if you look a little closer  you can see how intricate some of these knots are and how cool they really look. So overall, this has reinforced the lesson that you can't judge a book by its cover, because if you look inside you can see how beautiful and amazing it is or can be.

Thank you all for reading! This is probably it for winter break although I do plan to try to get some more posts queued up so that I'm not cramming it all in the end. Happy New Year! Anyways, I'll turn things over to you now: What instances in your life have taught you to not judge a book by its cover? Have you used or plan on using any of these knots?

Jin, Ryan Tristan. How to Tie a Tie a Gentleman's Guide to Getting Dressed. New York: Potter Style, 2015. Print.

"Effortless" Tie Knots

Hello once again everyone! I hope your break is going well and you enjoy my second post here! :P

So reflecting on what I learned during the last post, I can wholeheartedly say that it really came in handy. The Jazz Band preformed at the Big Band Dance at KR a few weeks ago and for the first time I was actually able to tie my own tie! Now that I know for sure that this book will impact my life, it's time to learn some more knots and see where/when I can use them.

Today I read through a chapter in the book, How to Tie a Tie A Gentleman's Guide to Getting Dressed, called Effortless Knots. At first glance, I expected to be able to easily tie all of the knots shown in the chapter, but after only looking at the first one I quickly realized they weren't really "effortless". I'll do my best to work through these knots and show you guys how to do them too, so you can use them when you want! Wish me luck!

I'll start with the two knots (The Four-In-Hand and the Prince Albert) used more often because they are able to be tied using just about any length and thickness of tie. According to the author, "Not only is the Four-In-Hand the most versatile tie knot available, it also goes well with nearly every collar style" (Jin 44). I feel that this will definitely come in handy for me because throughout the various different events I attend, I end up wearing several different types of dress shirts. Whether that is the one that goes with my suit for jazz, or the black one I used for Homecoming, this knot will allow me to have a tie that is interchangeable between the events. Also in the future when I have a job that may require a tie, this will be simple to use because I can wear it for any occasion and with any dress shirt. Jin later moves on to talk about the Prince Albert, stating, "The first loop shows slightly underneath the second loop, lending the knot additional character, dimension, and height" (Jin 52). While this may not be the most practical of knots for something like an everyday job in the future, it will be pretty cool to know for events like jazz performances where I can use it to express myself and add a little "flare" to my normally plain outfit. Below I demonstrate how to tie the Four-In-Hand knot, as it will likely be the one most widely used by any readers. I hope you find it as useful as I do!

The next two knots are called the Kelvin and the Nicky. The author states that the Kelvin is very similar to the Kent knot, and is best used with a thinner tie or when trying to avoid excessive bulk (Jin 48). On the other hand, the Nicky is ideal when wearing your thicker wool ties for colder weather, and works well with the all-purpose semi-spread collar (Jin 57). Due to the specifications on when to use these two knots, I won't be able to use them as much. I will definitively end up applying them once my tie collection grows. At the moment I only own about 6 different ties, none of which really fit into the requirements of these two knots. However, later on when I have to live on my own, my collection will most likely grow and I will be able to put these knots to good use. So while it may not help all that much today, it will be incredibly useful to me in the future, so I might as well learn how to do it now. Below is a picture of what the Kelvin knot looks like, as I don't have a thicker wool tie to properly demonstrate the Nicky.

Although the two may look similar, this is actually tied with

the tie facing in the opposite direction, meaning the knots are

tied differently, which gives them slightly different looks.

Like I talked about my previous post, this really shows me how many different ways there are to express yourself. Already I've looked over 8 different ways to tie a tie, and I'm not even halfway through the book yet. Also, this chapter especially has taught me the importance of looking for the beauty in small things. Everyone has something small in their life that brings them joy, and looking at these tie knots it's showing me that I need to appreciate that more. I always get so caught up with school, homework, swimming, etc. This book has really shown me that despite that I can take pride in the little things in life and use them as a short break from all the stress. Whether it's baking, messing with your car, playing some video games, or even when you get time to just lay in bed for an extra half an hour, we all have small things that we love, whether or not we realize it. So appreciate everything in life, because you never know when they might be gone, or when you might need them to help clear your head off all the stresses in life.

Well, I've said my piece, and I hope you've enjoyed it. I plan to get another post out during winter break here just so I'm not cramming everything into January. Anyway, I'll turn things over to you: What are some little things that you appreciate in your life? Have you used any of the knots from either of these posts?


Jin, Ryan Tristan. How to Tie a Tie a Gentleman's Guide to Getting Dressed. New York: Potter Style, 2015. Print.