This is one of my original knotwork frame designs from back when I was still doing them in pencil. Version 5 was one of the first designs I actually hand-drew because that classic knotwork style is the first one I learned. I scanned it from a pencil sketch 30 years ago. I named it version 5 because I scanned it after the others.
Although it’s a double-knot style, this knotwork frame is a simple repeating design. I originally drew this out in pencil using graph paper as a guide, then scanned it in. You can find a good tutorial on drawing knotwork patterns using a grid here.
You can see an example of this style in the Book of Kells. A portrait of Saint John the Evangelist appears right before the Book of John, Folio 291v. On either side of the central figure are cross shapes containing this simple, back-to-back double knot pattern. The version I’ve included in the file package features a larger frame layout, in a roughly 8×10 ratio (it’s a slight bit narrower).
I have also included the individual elements used as separate files. If you have image software you can use them to build smaller versions, like the featured image for this post. I created the square with the same four corners, and using only one repetition of the side patterns on each side.
You can see how simple the individual elements are! I made the actual files in black, colored violet here for ease of viewing.
