Notes on dots
A single dot, on a contrasting ground, stands out. Does it speak of uniqueness? Of isolation? Is it at the centre? on the edge? at the careful crossing of thirds? X marks the spot.
Scattered dots, chaotic, unpatterned, arhythmic, ‘dotted about’.
Dots that form a shape without line, a lightweight structure. Constellations.
Pointillism. Weaving, where each intersecting thread forms a kind of dot, and each space between them. Needlepoint. Knitting.
Dots in a regular allover pattern, a framework for exploration. Dot grids. Open to potential in several directions at once.
Joining the dots. A game, a puzzle. A line is an uncountable number of joined dots.
What is the difference between a dot and a circle? Solidity? Scale? Nothing?
Dotty. A word for eccentric or absurd. Sometimes caused by an abundance of love.
Dictionary definitions from Merriam-Webster
Nouns
‘A small spot’, ‘a small round mark’, ‘a small point made with a pointed instrument’
Some dots are empty space. Pin pricks, moth holes, stencils.
‘A small round mark used in orthography or punctuation’
Dotting the ‘i’s. Stopping the sentences. Two dots make a colon: expansion follows.
‘A centred point used as a multiplication symbol’
And the decimal point: what joins, or separates, a whole number and its fraction.
‘A precise point, especially in time’ ‘On the dot’
A musical notation for a staccato sound. Morse code - dots and dashes :: Braille - raised dots :: Punch cards - a binary pattern of dots for weaving and computing. Dots for addressing - IP numbers and domain names.
Synonyms
fleck . blotch . speck . patch . spot . splotch . stain . smudge . speckle . mottle . dapple . pied
(Glory be to God for Dappled Things)
eyespot . point . smear . freckle . mole . blot . mark . splash . birthmark . blob . spatter . polka dot . smutch
Verbs for making dots
spray . sprinkle . scatter . strew . drizzle . sow . fleck . stud . stipple . speckle. spatter
Brith is Cymraeg for variegated, brindled, spotted, speckled; numerous, abundant, dotted with, studded with. Bara brith.
On the Isle of Tiree we have spotted houses known as pudding houses.
Dot is a diminutive of the name Dorothy, meaning God’s gift, dōron + theos.
As a shape loses its roundness, does it lose its ‘dot’ness? Can any shape be read as dotted in relation to its context. Are bullet points dots when they’re squares, or asterisks? Distance creates dots from all kinds of shapes, and volumes - sheep, cows, birds, trees, planets.
Life begins with dots - an egg, a seed, an amoeba; and ends with them - dust, ash, worm casts.
Dots can be a mark of absence, knots in wood, pits in skin, a burst bubble.
Dots in nature - raindrops, trout, leopards, a thrush’s breast, shadows and light through leaves, daisies in grass, red and white toadstools, fairy rings, seeds, fallen petals.
Small round dot-like things - tablets, cloves, screw heads, fingerprints, bottle tops, paint drips, buttons, beads.
Textile dotmaking - shibori patterns, shisha mirrors, honeycomb weaves, point twills, Ms and Os, bobble stitches, lace, French knots. Can every kind of small disparate stitch stand for a dot?
Edible dots - olives on focaccia, raisins in a scone, biscuits on a baking tray, dots of butter to make flaky pastry, beans in chilli, cherries in a slice of cake, dumplings in stew, sliced carrots and leeks and radishes. Eggs in an eggbox?
Abundant dots - seed heads, pebbles on a beach, Dalmatians, the stars.
Single dots - a jewel in a pendant, a candle flame in a dark room, the full moon.
‘Dots’ is the first of five prompts within a wider prompt, Co-create, in No Rules Textile Society during April and early May 2026. The others are ‘Paper’, ‘Wrap’, ‘Weave’ and ‘Gather’.
I’m very interested in perceptions of value and in different ways of expressing what we value in alternative and flexible kinds of exchange. I love experimenting with ‘gift economy’ ideas like ‘pay it forward’ and ‘pay what you wish’. I intend to keep all my posts freely available for everyone - please share them wherever you like. Paying for a subscription (thank you!) helps to makes this possible.
If you like my posts and want to support me occasionally, please consider buying me a coffee.