Macrame

Macramé is a technique of knotted work in which the pattern and the fabric itself are created by tying rows of decorative knots by hand, without a hook, needles or a loom. The basis of macramé is a few fundamental knots (the square knot, the half-hitch), from which complex geometric and openwork compositions are built. The technique has a long history in seafaring (sailors tied knots in their spare time) and in Eastern textiles, and enjoyed a special surge of popularity in the 1970s in bohemian fashion. Macramé makes belts, bags, jewellery, tops and décor. It needs no complex tools but does require counting and neatness; it is prized for its texture and handmade, ethnic-bohemian character.