Free Sample
The Complete Guide to Macrame
The honest beginner's guide to macrame: what it really costs, what you actually need, and how to know if it's worth your time before you buy a single strand of cord.
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: What Is Macrame and Why People Love It
Okay, let's talk about what macrame actually is, because I think a lot of people picture something complicated - maybe a giant wall installation at a fancy coffee shop, or a plant hanger that looks like it was woven by elves. The truth is a lot humbler and, for my money, a lot more accessible. Macrame is, at its core, the art of taking a bunch of rope and tying knots in it to make a pattern. That's it. No needles, no glue, no weaving loom. You use your fingers, a few knots that you can learn in twenty minutes, and a piece of cord that starts as a whole lot of nothing and ends up as a curtain, a bag, a shelf, or a thing of beauty on your wall.
Let me set the scene for what a first session actually feels like. You've cleared off the kitchen table, or maybe you've got a lap desk on your couch. On the floor next to you is a roll of cord - it looks like thick, creamy cotton rope, and if you squeezed it, it would give just a little. It smells faintly of the cotton mill. You've also got a pair of scissors you hope are sharp enough, and maybe a tape measure. You're following a simple pattern you found, and it calls for something called a "square knot." The instructions show you a diagram. You look at it.