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How to draw celtic knotwork

This method is based on the traditional way of drawing knotwork which, as far as we can tell, was used by the original celtic scribes. It is similar to the method given in George Bain's seminal Celtic Art - The Methods of Construction.
For contractual reasons we cannot show the simplified method of construction described in How to Draw Celtic Knotwork, which is a shame as it is much more suited to computer graphics than the traditional way. A system by which Hypercard can create 15,000 different knots in a day (on my 16Mhz machine), seems more appropriate to the modern world than one developed for wax styli and bone engraving tools.
But this is the authentic method, and it does introduce you to the diagonal grid pattern that gave celtic knotwork and key patterns their distinctive look and potential for variation.

1		Divide up the area you want to fill (either a complete knot or a repeatable section) into a roughly square grid by repeatedly halving it. It is best to decide how many units wide you want the shortest edge first (in this case four).
2		Mark the points at which the grid lines meet. In this case every alternate point is marked, to give a simpler knot, but note the diagonal formation.
3		Now draw circles with centres at the points and a radius of the diagonal distance between points. This makes them overlap, ripe for knoting.
4		The last part of the setting out is the diagonal lines going through the points. You now have a complete set of guide lines on which to build your knot.
5		This is the point at which you decide on the final shape of your knot. This example is one of the most basic variations, with diagonal crossovers all along the middle line. You could follow one or more of the circles all the way around, or any of a large number of other possibilities, but until you get the general method sussed, it is best to start with the simple ones.
6		The next step is to thicken the lines to the desired width. Early knotwork tended to be drawn so that the bands were half a grid unit wide, while the later knotwork became excessively thin. To my point of view the early pieces have a balance that greatly increases their beauty.
7		Now, and only now, you can start inking it in around the outside of the lines that you have drawn. Do not ink in the crossovers yet. Guide lines can now be erased.
8		Having finished the outside of the lines, you can now ink in the crossovers. Choose your starting point and follow one band, making the crossovers alternate, so that the band goes under, over, under, over, under, over... Trying to do them out order is very clever and almost universally unsuccessful. If there are any crossovers left to do on another band, start from a crossover that you have done already and follow the second band as you did the first.
9		Finally erase the grid lines and hey presto - you have your knot.