Macrame is essentially a weaving technique through nodal bonding. This kind of skill has been known since ancient times. Some evidence suggests that macrame came to Europe in the eighth to ninth century AD, and it originated in the East. This technique was known in China, Peru, Assyria, Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt. Sailing fleet contributed to the active development of this type of craft. Sailors from ancient times weaved nets and spliced ropes through knots. Steering wheels were decorated with wicker tires. There are more than four thousand marine nodes. Very often you can find quite complex combinations of nodes. Many sea knots are so beautiful and unusual that they switched to an artistic craft called macrame. The patterns obtained as a result are not only beautiful, but also very durable. One of the main techniques of macramé - a double flat knot - was called the Hercules knot in ancient times.
Macrame for beginners: weaving materials
As a material for weaving can serve a fairly wide range. Here you can distinguish linen or hemp rope, paper twine, silk or cord line, synthetic, linen or cotton threads, sisal, flat braid and more. The main point is to choose the right macrame nodes. They can be of varying complexity, some of them are quite common, while others are little known. It all depends on the ease of execution of the nodes, as well as on how much you are able to work without circuits, only from memory. Products created in this technique are widely known for their flexibility. For starters, you can learn some basic macrame techniques for beginners, and remember simple principles. All the following is just an improvisation of the author himself.
Macrame for Beginners: Highlights
If you do this type of needlework, then you need to be prepared to receive a huge amount of positive emotions. The weaving technique is quite interesting. Weaving can be done with only threads. You can figure out how to weave macrame. Nodes will not require any special tools or devices from you. You can do without them. However, for training and obtaining the first beautiful products, you will need a pillow for weaving and pins with large heads. Of course, you will need to prepare a centimeter tape, scissors, crochet hooks with which you will stretch the thread through complex knots, as well as a knitting needle or awl, with them you will untie the incorrectly made knots. Weights may be useful for aligning the ends of products.
Macrame for beginners: a little about the weaving technique
The very first assistant in your work will be a device for weaving, that is, a pillow. There are many varieties of them. The main requirement in this case is ease of use. It can be made of plank, thick cardboard or plywood. There are no special requirements for sizes, it all depends on what sizes the future product is planned. A layer of foam, felt, foam or batting is laid on a rigid base, and everything is covered with fabric on top. Some people like to work with a pillow that has a cylindrical shape, you can use a furniture roller. If you don’t have a suitable device at hand, you can fix your work on the seat or back of a chair or upholstered chair.
Now let's talk about pins. They need a lot, since they are used to fix both the work itself and for individual elements. Regular tailor pins are not always suitable, it all depends on the thickness of the thread used.
You should understand that for starters it’s enough to arm yourself with a minimal set of tools and a strong desire to do something beautiful, and then your tools can be supplemented.