When some crafters hear the word “macramé” many have flashbacks to large rope pieces designed for holding plants and neutral colored wall hangings. What I didn’t realize until Anne created her ornament here, was how I have been watching the technique being worked all summer long. One of Anne’s resources was Weldon’s Practical Macramé Lace. Current PieceWork magazine subscribers can enjoy a sampling of the ebook, now available in our All Access library. —Katrina
Macramé Work
Macramé work, or knotting, is of very ancient origin, and dates as far back as the sixteenth century, when it was much used in Italy and Spain for beautifying ecclesiastical linen and priests’ vestments. The word “Macramé” is of Eastern derivation, and signifies “a cloth with an ornamental fringe;” it, therefore, was applied by the Italians in the neighbourhood of Genoa to a kind of huckaback material, the ends of which were fringed and knotted in various fanciful devices. Macramé work has lately revived in favour and is certainly both a pleasant and a useful occupation; it is easily and quickly executed, and is so strong that once done it lasts almost forever.
The term “knotting” is very appropriate, as the whole work in its modernised form consists of a series of knots so interwoven and combined one with another as to form a “pattern” more or less elaborate, according to the skill of the worker and the purpose for which the work is required.
Uses of Macramé
Many useful articles can be made in macramé work, such as table and mantel borders; brackets, fringes for household linen and towels, nightdress cases, handkerchief sachets, wall pockets, tidies, work-bags, shopping-baskets, cosies, insertions for antimacassars, and fringes for dress trimmings.
Borrowing a page from Weldon’s and some of my daughter’s thread, I had fun working some macramé.
Materials Required
The materials for macramé work are quite inexpensive. Linen thread, otherwise called Macramé Twine, is generally preferred, and is now manufactured in several lovely shades of cream, ecru, brown, green, porcelain-blue, terra-cotta, and old-gold, both course and fine.
Maltese thread and fine flax thread are used for ornamenting household linen, and crochet cotton or silk twist for costume trimming. A skillful worker may commence knotting by looping the threads into the material itself, and in some instances the work can be executed with the same threads of which the material is composed by drawing out the threads one way of the fabric and leaving the others to be knotted.
Requisites for Macramé
An oblong cushion or some kind of frame is absolutely necessary to work upon. A useful cushion can be made at home: procure a piece of strong unbleached calico, and make a bag about 18 inches or 20 inches long and 8 inches wide, stuff this firmly with bran, and place it in a shallow box of corresponding size, which box must be heavily weighted with lead or sand. The bag should stand an inch above the level of the box, and be covered on the top with bright ingrain cashmere or cloth.
Much good work is done upon a plain deal board, a bar being nailed on either end to raise the threads slightly above the surface of the board.
Another requisite is a box of steel toilet pins with round glass heads, as now and then a pin will be wanted to keep a thread down in place. A crochet hook, too, is useful, especially to a beginner, to insert under threads where the fingers cannot go. And a pair of strong sharp scissors must not be forgotten.
Details of Macramé
The great beauty of macramé consists in manipulating every knot tightly and evenly; every knot must be drawn in place before the next knot is worked, and great care must be exercised to preserve the same distances when repeating the pattern, and to retain the threads in the same consecutive order in which they were first arranged. Some of the threads being used more than others will work up very quickly—experience will determine these; and as joining is rather awkward, if uncertain of the length required, cut more than necessary rather than not sufficient, and when one scallop is finished it is comparatively easy to estimate the lengths for the next.
When some crafters hear the word “macramé” many have flashbacks to large rope pieces designed for holding plants and neutral colored wall hangings. What I didn’t realize until Anne created her ornament here, was how I have been watching the technique being worked all summer long. One of Anne’s resources was Weldon’s Practical Macramé Lace. Current PieceWork magazine subscribers can enjoy a sampling of the ebook, now available in our All Access library. —Katrina
Macramé Work
Macramé work, or knotting, is of very ancient origin, and dates as far back as the sixteenth century, when it was much used in Italy and Spain for beautifying ecclesiastical linen and priests’ vestments. The word “Macramé” is of Eastern derivation, and signifies “a cloth with an ornamental fringe;” it, therefore, was applied by the Italians in the neighbourhood of Genoa to a kind of huckaback material, the ends of which were fringed and knotted in various fanciful devices. Macramé work has lately revived in favour and is certainly both a pleasant and a useful occupation; it is easily and quickly executed, and is so strong that once done it lasts almost forever.
The term “knotting” is very appropriate, as the whole work in its modernised form consists of a series of knots so interwoven and combined one with another as to form a “pattern” more or less elaborate, according to the skill of the worker and the purpose for which the work is required.
Uses of Macramé
Many useful articles can be made in macramé work, such as table and mantel borders; brackets, fringes for household linen and towels, nightdress cases, handkerchief sachets, wall pockets, tidies, work-bags, shopping-baskets, cosies, insertions for antimacassars, and fringes for dress trimmings.
Borrowing a page from Weldon’s and some of my daughter’s thread, I had fun working some macramé.
Materials Required
The materials for macramé work are quite inexpensive. Linen thread, otherwise called Macramé Twine, is generally preferred, and is now manufactured in several lovely shades of cream, ecru, brown, green, porcelain-blue, terra-cotta, and old-gold, both course and fine.
Maltese thread and fine flax thread are used for ornamenting household linen, and crochet cotton or silk twist for costume trimming. A skillful worker may commence knotting by looping the threads into the material itself, and in some instances the work can be executed with the same threads of which the material is composed by drawing out the threads one way of the fabric and leaving the others to be knotted.
Requisites for Macramé
An oblong cushion or some kind of frame is absolutely necessary to work upon. A useful cushion can be made at home: procure a piece of strong unbleached calico, and make a bag about 18 inches or 20 inches long and 8 inches wide, stuff this firmly with bran, and place it in a shallow box of corresponding size, which box must be heavily weighted with lead or sand. The bag should stand an inch above the level of the box, and be covered on the top with bright ingrain cashmere or cloth.
Much good work is done upon a plain deal board, a bar being nailed on either end to raise the threads slightly above the surface of the board.
Another requisite is a box of steel toilet pins with round glass heads, as now and then a pin will be wanted to keep a thread down in place. A crochet hook, too, is useful, especially to a beginner, to insert under threads where the fingers cannot go. And a pair of strong sharp scissors must not be forgotten.
Details of Macramé
The great beauty of macramé consists in manipulating every knot tightly and evenly; every knot must be drawn in place before the next knot is worked, and great care must be exercised to preserve the same distances when repeating the pattern, and to retain the threads in the same consecutive order in which they were first arranged. Some of the threads being used more than others will work up very quickly—experience will determine these; and as joining is rather awkward, if uncertain of the length required, cut more than necessary rather than not sufficient, and when one scallop is finished it is comparatively easy to estimate the lengths for the next.
[PAYWALL]
All macramé is worked from the left-hand to the right. The threads stretched lengthways across the cushion or frame are termed “foundation cords,” and the first foundation cord is used simply to fasten the working threads upon, the other foundation cords are invariably worked over with macramé knots. When threads are slanted vertically, and used to work macramé knots or stitches upon, as in making diamonds and stars, those slanted threads are designated “leaders,” and are held in the left-hand when slanted towards the left, and in the right-hand when slanted towards the right, and when they have done duty as leaders they are worked again in the pattern as ordinary threads without any mark of distinction.
When a thread is used up and a new one is consequently required, place the new thread in position for working, and with the long end of it make a single knot or half a macramé knot upon the leader or nearest strand, tum the short end to the back and secure it there with a needle and cotton.
A beginner should master all the stitches and bars, taking care to work every knot closely and evenly, and should also learn the method of making stars and diamonds, before attempting any set pattern.
Method of Working
The first proceeding is to measure foundation cords the length required for the intended piece of work. Cut the macramé thread rather more than double this length to allow for half a yard or so waste in fastening to the cushion or frame. All foundation cords are put on double; that is, unless you are able to procure a certain thick cord lately introduced, which is about as thick as a No. 7 knitting needle, and this answers singly. The first foundation cord must be secured as tightly as possible across the frame lengthways, about an inch from the top. Loose foundations are the cause of much bad work.
We will now go on to explain the working of knots and stitches: one by one, and illustrate each in relative order of difficulty.
Nos. 1, 2, 3, And 4. —Foundation Cord or Line with Threads Knotted On
Having the first foundation cord in place, cut a length of thread, fold it with the two ends together, and pass the ends upwards under the cord, turn the ends over the top, pass them through the loop so formed, see Figure 1, and bring the ends straight down, drawing them tightly, as shown in Figure 2. You will see that the piece of thread being doubled, makes two working threads. Put on as many threads as needed for the scallop. This is the usual mode of beginning. It makes a variation in some patterns to pass the loop end of the thread upward under the cord, and draw the ends through the loop so formed, see Figures 3 and 4. Figure 7 shows a method of putting the threads on two at a time, which is a saving of time in large pieces of work.
Figures 1–4 demonstrating how to begin threads on the foundation cord.
Nos. 5, 6, And 7. —Second Foundation Cord Worked with Macramé Knots
Now supposing the threads are all arranged upon the first foundation cord, the next proceeding is to place a second cord above the working threads, and close below the first foundation cord.
Take the first working thread in the right-hand and hold it to the right-hand side, pass it over, then under the second cord, and through the loop made by itself, and pull it tightly. Do this again a second time, the two actions make one stitch, and the stitch should lie exactly under its own thread on the first cord. This stitch is the “Macramé Knot Stitch,” pure and simple, always two actions. Before drawing the thread tightly, it looks as illustrated in Figure 5, and when tightly drawn appears as Figure 6; but remember the first knot must in every instance be drawn tightly in place before doing the second. Work macramé knots upon the second foundation cord with each thread in succession.
Figures 5–7 demonstrate the addition of a second foundation cord.
Nos. 8 And 9. —Single Knotted Bar
This stitch and the next are very effective, and are introduced more or less in most patterns. Commence as Figure 6. Hold the 1st thread straight down in the left-hand, take the 2nd thread in the right-hand, pass it over the first, then under and upwards through the loop, hold the 2nd thread in the left-hand, take the 1st thread in the right-band, pass it over the second, then under, and upwards through the loop; repeat both these processes. Figure 8 shows the manner of knotting the bar, and Figure 9 shows the bar as it appears when drawn in tightly.
Figures 8 and 9 of Weldon's Macramé Lace
Nos. 10 and 11. —Double Knotted Bar
Commence as Figure 6, but placing two threads (making four working threads) on the foundation cords. Manipulate the threads exactly in the same manner as directed for the single knotted bar, only working the 1st and 2nd threads conjointly together, and the 3rd and 4th threads conjointly together. This stitch is shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11.
Figures 10 and 11 of Weldon’s Macramé Lace
Looking for more on Macramé? Here are three more illustrations from the fifty available in the ebook. Head over the library to access the full pdf here. We hope you give it a try!
Figures 29–32 of Weldon’s Macramé Lace showing the Beaded bar, the Cable bar, and the Diamond bar techniques
