|
 
Macrame:
The skill of macramé dates back to the thirteenth century.
The word macramé is Arabic in origin meaning "fringe". It's thought that Arabian weavers began the skill by knotting the additional material at the edges of loamed material.
After the Moors' conquest of the area, the practice spread to Spain, then across Europe.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, macramé was extremely popular in France and Italy. Items were created and used to decorate church altars. The British were introduced to the art of macramé in the late 17th century. In the 19th century, macramé suddenly became extremely popular in British culture and was used to decorate everything.
Macramé has changed over time. Although the basic premise is still the same, modern day designers can use a wider range of materials and incorporate additional creative touches.
Macrame has been called, and occasionally compared to, Chinese knotting. But they are actually two different crafts. The one knot they share is the Josephine knot, which in Chinese knotting is called the double coin knot.
Macrame does not use many different kinds of knots; the creative part of this craft lies in how they are combined.
 Macrame knot (animation)
 Vertical double half hitch knot 
 Diagonal double half hitch knot 
|