WHAT IS MACRAME?

Just like knitting and crochet, macrame is making a comeback. Very popular in the seventies, macrame creations are becoming trendy again with the return of bohemian chic. Macramé is a weaving technique that consists in making decorative knots to create jewelry, bags or decorative objects: cushion covers, curtains, chandeliers, dream catchers, hammocks …

This particular weaving technique would have appeared among the Persians before arriving among the weavers of the Middle East in the 13th century. The origin of the word macramé comes from the Arabic “Migramah” which translates as fringe, embroidery or lace. Sailors, knowing that they are professional knotters, have played an important role in the diffusion and sharing of this art. The long periods spent at sea gave them time to make objects that they sold or exchanged once they arrived on land. But we also find in Latin America in the Sumerian period an art “the Quipu of the Andes” which can also be considered as macramé. A Quipu could count hundreds of threads and thousands of knots and was for the Incas a form of writing.

Macramé is a creative hobby that requires little investment and no tools. You can work with yarns, ropes, wools and add accessories by combining the aesthetics of macramé knots with the therapeutic virtues of stones in the creation of bracelets or pendants. The knotting technique is easy and can be learned very quickly. There are different types of knots, the most basic of which are the lark’s knot, the overhand knot and the twisted knot. The flat knots are used to create jewelry, while the volume knots are used to create more complex works: wall weavings, hangings, lampshades, hanging chairs.

DIY (Do It Yourself) macramé is for all ages and can suit all tastes. Depending on the project you choose, the making will be more or less long. It is preferable to start with simple and quick projects such as bracelets or coasters and then to try objects requiring more dexterity and longer to make. There are plenty of free tutorials available online to help you learn the macrame technique. It is essential to acquire some consistency in knotting, but this comes easily with time and work.

Many stores and online sites now offer kits that include the supplies and explanations needed to complete a chosen work.

Macramé must above all be a creative and playful hobby. It is therefore important not to rush headlong into the realization of a work too ambitious to execute but to have a progressive approach in the choice of projects in order to get satisfaction and not to give up too quickly.

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