When I was 14, circa 1977, I was introduced to the '70s macramé craze, probably through my sister. I can't quite remember what I first made, but it was probably an owl or a simple pot hanger. For at least a year or two after that, I'd whip out everything from elaborate wall hangings to three-tiered floor-to-ceiling plant hangers--even a purse for my mom. A local nursery, Muchow's Floral Shop, actually sold my plant hangers on consignment.
You might find it hard to believe that a young man would want to tie knots in his spare time. But I was also an avid tennis player and I biked a lot. One of the benefits of my alone time doing this hobby was learning all the words to '70s pop music. There I'd be with two center strands of jute in my mouth as I pushed out knot after knot to the rhythms of Vicky Sue Robinson's "Turn the Beat Around" or "Rock the Boat" by the Hues Corporation. I'd later learn that macramé was popular among sailors out to sea. They'd need to learn knots for making ladders, etc., and often bartered their work on shore.
Since Covid began, I was looking for something to occupy my home time. I do a lot of hiking and some camping, and started back biking this summer. Exercise is also on the top of my list. But I wanted to get back to creating something. Macramé was the easy choice.
Though there's been a resurgence of macramé over the past few years, cord and supplies are a little harder to find at your local craft stores. Most macramé cord sold at Walmart and Michael's is for bracelet making. To get the big stuff, you have to go online. Amazon, of course, is a good place to start.
On the other hand, patterns and instructions are abundantly available. Check out Youtube for easy-to-follow tutorials. Also become a member of the many macramé groups on Facebook. Everyone is very inspirational and you get a lot of good feedback and assistance on your projects.
As far as a setup, invest in a clothing rack. I purchased this one from Walmart for $9. It is height adjustable so you can sit or stand, and it will accommodate most any project. You can even wheel it to another room so you can watch TV while you work, or place it in an area where you can easily vacuum up stray jute hairs. I also spent $3 for some metal shower curtain hooks to hang projects. As you can see, my clothing rack is now home to what I call my macramé garden. These are some of the plant hangers I've made over the past several months. I think I'm running out of space!
Sooner or later, I'm sure I'll move on to other hobbies. I figure by the time I run out of the remaining spools of cord, Covid cases will be on a final decline. At least I hope they will. Or maybe this is something I'll continue to do now and then. It's great hand and arm exercise, and it teaches you patience. Here are a few of my other recent projects. I'd love to read about your macramé work in the comments below. Vic
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