Macramé: The Art of Knotting

I have no previous professional jewelry-making experience; but I developed this sudden interest to explore the art of jewelry-making. Hence, I started going through numerous books and websites that portrayed different jewelry designs and techniques.

While researching, I got extremely attracted to macramé, also known as the art of knotting [read more below]. I was fascinated by the ability to diversely combine material while blending in macramé and different jewelry-making techniques. I therefore decided to try my luck at designing my first piece of macramé jewelry (see below).

This choker was created using the overhand knot and the square knot (with alternating filters) resulting in a flawless knot sequence. These knots melt down into the design, making the shells stand out. I got inspired by the summer, sand and beach and chose to go for a combination of shells with aqua-coloured beads; the star-shaped pendant was the cherry on top, completing the design so it looks perfect.

I very much enjoyed crafting this choker and didn’t expect the result to look this pretty (I can't but be proud of myself - I did exceed my expectations).

The choker makes a wonderful accessory this season, completing any summer outfit while making a nice design statement.

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More on Macramé

Macramé has been around for many years, centuries even. It first originated with 13th Century Arab weavers where they made nets and decorated fabric edges with excess yarn and thread. The word macramé is derived from the Arabic migramah (مقرمة), believed to mean “striped towel”, “ornamental fringe” or “embroidered veil”.

The art of macramé was then spread across the rest of the World through trade, travel and conquers; it was most popular in the Victorian Era. The macramé trend faded for sometime but regained its popularity for making furnishing items, clothes and even jewelry.