It’s called macrame, which is pretty much like a crochet, but with a greater emphasis on the minimalistic and rustic touches, resulting in a much more elegant visual style. Macrame refers to both the art and the age-old craft itself. It has been around for hundreds of years and isn’t going away anytime soon, simply because of its refined beauty and practicality.
A little bit history
To a lot of people, macrame was the once-popular wall decoration in the ‘60s and ‘70s. But its history dates back to the 13th century if not earlier. Some historians believe the knotting techniques began as a Middle Eastern tradition and finally found a much wider appreciation in 13th century Turkey. Others suggest that the ancient Babylonians and Persians used the same techniques in many artifacts dating to the BC era.
Modern history sees macrame primarily as an art form originating in Arabic countries. Weavers from this region of the world used unique knotting techniques to make the otherwise usual shawls, rugs, and tapestries look much more visually appealing. Since the same textiles also made their way to Europe, the knotting techniques turned into objects of fascination and encouraged many Europeans to experiment with the craft. It is said that ladies in England practiced knotting under the guidance of Queen Mary II in the 17th century.
But women weren’t the only ones practicing. British and American sailors found macrame to be quite practical for making belts and hammocks. Still, some others mainly practiced the craft to ward off boredom during long voyages. These sailors ultimately became merchants and shared the beauty of macrame everywhere they sailed. In fact, macrame remained popular until the 19th century until the sewing machine came along during the Industrial Revolution.
