MacramÉ is an Arabic word, signifying an ornamental fringe or trimming, which has been adopted as the term for a certain kind of hand-work, known also as «knotted fringe» or «Mexican lace» and produced by the knotting, interweaving and tying together of threads.

We have given the preference to the Arabic name because of its less definite meaning, seeing that not only fringe and lace, but trimmings of all kinds, in the shape of bands and stripes and headings, can be worked in macramÉ.

Until its revival about ten years ago, when it was regarded by many as a new invention, the art of macramÉ making had for centuries become almost extinct and save here and there in the convents, was quite unknown.

The multitude of uses to which it can be turned as a trimming, the infinite variety it admits of and its great durability and strength, make macramÉ well worth a study; the difficulties that repel many at first sight are only on the surface and any one who carefully follows the instructions given in the following pages, will soon overcome them and be able without pains to copy the charming designs that accompany them, which remind us of the wooden lattices in the windows of Eastern houses, doubtless familiar to many of our readers, under the name of moucharabieh.

Materials.—These may be of almost any kind; silk, gold thread, cord, wool or cotton, can all be employed with good effect. Almost any of the D.M.C cottons can be used for macramÉ; but the ones especially to be recommended are: Fil À dentelle D.M.C[A], Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C[A] and Coton À broder D.M.C[A] for the finer kinds of work, and for the coarser, Fil À pointer D.M.C[A], Coton À tricoter D.M.C[A] and Ganse turque D.M.C[A]. The twist in all these is so regular as to admit of a high degree of perfection being attained with them: they are moreover very agreeable to the touch, a great recommendation considering how much they have to be handled by the worker.

MacramÉ cushion and other accessories (figs. 513 and 514).—The only really important requisite for macramÉ work is the cushion, which should be well stuffed, and weighted with lead (fig. 513). It is convenient to have it made to screw on to a table like the Swiss tambour frames. There are other kinds of macramÉ cushions but none, in our opinion, as practical as these because any pattern can be worked upon them and patterns that have a heading or a border of picots can not be worked on any others. The pegs at the ends of the cushion are for fixing and winding the long threads upon, which carry the knots, and which we shall in future call «cords».

For making long lengths of macramÉ fringe, metal clamps, with round-headed pegs attached to them top and bottom, to fasten the cords to, as represented in fig. 514, will be found far better than a cushion, as any number of threads can be knotted on to them at a time by pushing them more or less closely together on the cord.

Besides the cushion and clamps, you will require, some big glass-headed pins, made expressly for the purpose, a crochet needle for pulling the threads through the stuff when they have to be knotted on to an edge, and a French mÈtre or yard measure to measure the threads with; to these implements may further be added, scissors and a metal comb and ruler for cutting and straightening the ends of the threads.

The length of the threads must depend on their substance and size; that is to say, that a knot will take up more of a coarse stiff thread than of a fine pliable one, on which account, to avoid the necessity of preliminary trials, the right length of thread, for the quality and size of material, is given with each pattern. If, for any reason, our workers should not follow the directions given, they must bear in mind that the thicker and stiffer the material, the more they will have to allow for the knots and vice versa.

Formation of the knots.—Beginners must be careful, in macramÉ as in tatting, not to move or slacken the cord, or horizontal thread that carries the knots. The knots made by the «knotting-thread», as it will be called in future, consist of loops formed over the cord and then tightened. The knotting-thread and the cord are constantly changing places, as you work, loops having to be made now with the one and now with the other.

Knotting on the threads (fig. 515).—Excepting when you work with the threads of a material obtained by unravelling and drawing out the cross threads, you must knot on lengths of thread on to a cord; cut them double the length the fringe is to be and fold them in half, so as to form a loop by means of which you attach them to the cord, in the following manner. Put the loop over the cord from the front and bring it back underneath, put the ends down through the loop, detail a, and tighten it, detail b, as shown in the engraving.

Knotting on the threads on to a stuff edge and formation of a flat double knot (fig. 516).—Push your crochet needle through the edge of the stuff from the right to the wrong side and catch hold of the loop, formed by the folding in half of the thread that is to be knotted on; pull it out to the right side, put the ends through, and tighten the loop, detail a. Detail b shows two double threads, knotted on near to each other in this way, and the first tying together of the two outer threads for the flat knot which is formed as follows: you take the two outer of the four threads hanging down and cross the right hand one under, and the left hand one over the two centre threads. Whilst doing this, hold the inner ones tightly stretched out on the 3rd and 4th fingers of the left hand, detail b. The manner in which the two threads are brought back and tied together again is shown in detail c; the drawing up of the threads completes the so-called flat double knot, detail d. Detail e, of the same figure, shows two flat double knots, side by side, and the first step towards the formation of a third, connecting together the two right threads of the one with the two left threads of the other.

Knotting on threads on to a knotted heading (fig. 517).—Make flat double knots as in fig. 516, detail d, on a double cord and then knot on your threads on to the loops of the double knots, putting the loop through from the right side, so that it may lie at the back. Use double threads so that the work beneath the heading may not be too open.

Knotting on threads on to a picot heading (fig. 518) —First, crochet a row of chain stitches, then make flat double knots on the chain, far enough apart for the thread between to form picots on the chain, then a second chain of crochet drawn through the picots on one side, on to which tie triple or quadruple lengths of thread, as shown in the engraving.

Knotting on threads with round picots (fig. 519).— Fasten the lengths of thread to the cushion with pins, about half a c/m. apart, fix the cord to one of the pegs at the left end of the cushion, hold it tightly extended in a horizontal line with the right hand. With the left hand knot the threads that are pinned down on to the cord, looping each end twice round it, upwards from below and then drawing it through between the two loops or knots thus formed, pulling each knot to the left as you tighten it round the cord. Make the second row of knots in the same way, taking care to lay the second cord as close to the first as possible that the vertical threads may not be visible between. One series of knots forms a bar; there are both horizontal and slanting bars as will be seen later on.

Knotting on threads with a fringe heading (fig. 520).—Knot the threads on with a picot heading, as explained in the preceding figure, then cut the picots through and unravel and comb out the threads.

For this way of knotting on threads, a very strongly twisted material is better than a loose one, as when it is cut and untwisted, it makes a much richer and fuller fringe.

Knotting on with picots and flat double knots (fig. 521). —Take two threads, pin them on close together, make a flat double knot, fig. 516, tying the outer threads over the inner ones, and loop the ends over a cord to make a horizontal bar of knots.

Knotting on threads with picots and two flat double knots (figs. 522 and 523).—Pin the two threads on as before and make two flat double knots, one below the other; detail a shows the first knot begun, detail b the two knots completed. Fig. 523 shows the picots secured by a horizontal bar of knots beneath them.

Knotting on threads with scallops (fig. 524).—The threads for the scallops must be cut much longer than those that are to be knotted on below them. The buttonhole loops must be so made that they turn upwards; and there must be 12 of them, all made with the left hand thread over the right hand thread, detail a. Then, knot on two double threads underneath the scallop and besides, make knots with the threads that come from the scallops, detail b.

Knotting on threads with loops (fig. 525).—Pin on two threads folded in half, a little distance apart, detail a, and bind them together with a flat double knot. Pin on more lengths close to them, the inner threads of which are held by a "collecting knot", as the flat double knot is called when it is made over more than two threads (see also fig. 530). The ends of the threads can then be looped over one or two cords, so as to form a single or double bar of knots, as required.

Knotting on threads with triple scallops (fig. 526).—Knot on three single threads in succession; first, the middle one, then the second, with the knot right and left and the loop long enough to form the scallop, then the third in the same manner.

Knotting on threads for ribbed picots (fig. 527).—Take a double thread and make two slanting bars of knots, see details a and b, then secure them, like the preceding scallops by a horizontal bar of knots, see detail c.

Knotting on threads for a gimp heading (fig. 528).—This mode of knotting on forms a broad gimp, consisting of vertical bars of knots, made over a single cord. On the one side, that which is afterwards turned downwards, the cord, the ribs are made on, forms loops, held with pins, into which meshes of threads can be knotted when the gimp is finished, for making either a fringe or a grounding.

Patterns in several colours may likewise be knotted into gimp headings of this kind.

Flat double knots with half knots (fig. 529).—These are double knots followed by a third knot, or more correctly speaking, a half one of the first flat knots.

Collecting knots (fig. 530).—As explained in fig. 525, these are flat double knots, made over more than two threads. The engraving shows, in the first place on the left, a flat double knot made over two threads, completed, and the first crossing of the thread for the collecting knot; secondly, the second crossing of the threads; thirdly how the collecting knot can, if necessary, be continued over 4 threads, and fourthly, how the collecting knot should be made to finish with a flat double knot.

Plaited and waved knots (fig. 531).—Plaited knots are formed by a continuous repetition of the first crossing of the threads for making a flat knot, detail a; waved knots by a slight twist given to the plaited knots from left to right, detail b. These plaits of waved knots are secured by joining together the threads of opposite meshes, two and two, by a flat double knot.

Single crossed knots and double crossed knots (figs. 532 and 533).—Two plain crossings of the threads, detail a, to begin with; after which you rapidly reverse the threads, turning the knot to the wrong side, drawing it up tightly at the same time; this forms the first knot, detail b. The second knot, fig. 533, is formed by 3 crossings, detail a; reverse the threads rapidly, to form the double crossed knot, detail b. For the following knots tie the threads together, as for the flat double knot, detail c.

Looped picot and knotted picots (figs. 534 and 535).—Looped picots are made along a row of knots by setting the knots, far enough apart for the loop between, to form a picot when the knots are drawn up close together. In fig. 534, the detail a represents the picot, in its first open stage, detail b the same picot when it is finished.

Knotted picots, fig. 535, are formed after one or more flat double knots, by a knot made in the outer thread; to get this knot into the right place, make it on a big pin and draw it up close to the flat knot before you take out the pin.

These picots are always made on both sides and can be repeated several times along a row of knots. Detail a shows the crossing of the threads for the picots, detail b the picots completed and followed by a flat knot.

Bead knots (fig. 536).—A bead knot is made by turning back the threads after a row of flat double knots. Detail a shows three flat double knots finished, detail b the inner threads turned back over the flat double knots, detail c the two knotting threads, brought between the two threads coming from the left to the right, and detail d the bead knot finished and followed by a flat double knot.

Bars of knots to the right and left (figs. 537, 538, 539, 540, 541, 542, 543, 544).—After knotting on the requisite number of threads on to a double cord, make two buttonhole loops with the right thread round the left one, fig. 537, then knot each thread twice over the second cord, fig. 538. These knots must be as close together as possible. This done, begin to make the slanting bars, inclining from left to right, with 4 threads.

The first thread on the left, marked 1 in fig. 540, serves as cord to the threads 2, 3, 4, which are looped in succession over thread 1.

Fig. 541 represents threads 2, 3 and 4, knotted thread 1 and in the second bar, thread 2 becoming in its turn the cord, and having threads 3, 4 and 1 knotted over it, whilst it is being held, tightly stretched in the right hand. The knotting should be done with the left hand.

In fig. 542, which represents a bar inclining from right to left, threads 3, 2 and 1 are knotted over thread 4; and in fig. 543, in the second row, threads 2, 1, 4 over thread 3. Here, it has to be the left hand that holds the thread extended from right to left, whilst the right hand does the knotting.

Fig. 544 explains how the double bars are bound together by an ordinary double knot.

Single chain (fig. 545).—This is made with two single threads, by knotting them alternately over each other, that is, each in turns serving as cord to the other.

Double chain (fig. 546).—The double chain is made in the same manner as the single, only with a double thread.

Both the double and single chain are generally used in macramÉ gimps and borders as a means of conducting threads of different colours, from one part of a pattern to another, which could be done in no other way; also, as a continuation to the Chinese knot, fig. 607, as described at the end of this chapter.

Ribbed border (fig. 547).—Here, the same cord runs to and fro; the 4 threads that hang down, form little ribbed bars running right and left. To distinguish from the knotting threads, the thread that runs to and fro it, is represented in a darker colour.

MacramÉ fringe (figs. 548, 549, 550).—Entire length of the threads for No. 8 of Coton À tricoter D.M.C: 80 c/m.

1st row—knot on the threads, as in fig. 515, and in the following order: 1 double white thread, 2 double red, 1 double blue and so on.

2nd row—make a horizontal bar of knots, see figs. 519, 520 and 521, over a second cord.

3rd row—3 buttonhole knots, fig. 524, each with 2 threads.

4th row—like the 2nd.

5th row—make slanting bars of double knots right and left, counting 6 threads for each bar, consequently 12 for 2. The 1st and 12th thread serving as the cords for the knots. In the 2nd series of knots which forms the double slanting bar, make another double knot over the cord with the thread that served as cord in the preceding row.

When the slanting bars are finished, bring them as close together as possible, tighten the last thread on the right and make another double knot with the left thread; the position of all the threads is clearly described in fig. 549. Then continue the bars in the opposite direction, so that the 2nd thread on the left is stretched over the right hand group of threads, and the 11th thread on the right over the left hand group.

Make 3 rows of double bars and then take always 3 threads of a left hand group and 3 of a right hand one, tie them loosely together in a plain knot, put in, above the knot, a bunch of 8 threads, 15 c/m. long, fig. 550 detail a, draw up the knot close to the bars and wind thread of a different colour several times round it, detail b, to form the tassel.

The other bunches of threads which are hung on between two bars of knots must be tied on the same level with the first, but do not, nevertheless, come into close contact with the bars.

Insertion or fringe (figs. 551 and 552).—Entire length of the threads for No. 8 of Coton À tricoter D.M.C: 50 c/m., including the fringe.

1st row—knot on the threads as in fig. 515.

2nd row—1 double horizontal bar of knots, as in figs. 519 or 520, over double cords.

3rd row—Take 8 threads for a group of bars; 2 light and 2 dark ones on each side; the two sets of threads are numbered in fig. 552, a working detail of fig. 551, from 1 to 4.

Begin by making all the knots over threads 1 and 2 of the left set, so that threads 3 and 4 on the left will be outside and threads 1 and 2 inside the group. Make the same knots over the 3rd and 4th thread on the right, then repeat the left group again and so on.

Repeat from the beginning, and make 2 double knots over thread 3 on the right, fig. 552, with threads 1 and 2 on the left, then again 2 knots over thread 4 on the right. When this series of knots is finished, make: 3 double knots over thread 1 (dark-coloured in the engraving) with the left thread 2 and the right threads 1 and 2; make on the left: 3 knots over thread 4 with the right thread 3 and the left threads 2 and 1, and so on.

When this pattern is worked for a gimp and not a fringe, the threads are made to end in knots, as explained in fig. 558.

Gimp made with macramÉ shuttles (figs. 553, 554, 555).—Cut 8 double threads of the length the gimp is to be.

In order not to have to add on threads in the middle of the work, or have long ends hanging down, which are very much in the way, we recommend the employment of a new macramÉ shuttle, a kind of spool, such as are used in the making of pillow lace. These shuttles simplify the work enormously and are made hollow so that they can be mounted and filled on the spindle of any sewing machine.

Knot on the threads, as in fig. 515, and make a single bar of knots. Then leaving 2 threads on the right and 2 on the left disengaged, make 3 flat double knots with every set of 4 threads between. Make a slanting bar of double knots over the 16th right thread, with the 15th, 14th, 13th, 12th, 11th, 10th and 9th thread; then make knots with the same threads and with the 16th over the 15th thread. Make a similar bar on the left, over the 1st thread, with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th thread.

On both sides, and with the 4 outer threads: 4 flat double knots, fig. 516, detail d; 2 more bars on the right and left, but in the opposite direction, and knotting all the threads even to the last one, fig. 555. Take the 4 middle threads and make 6 flat double knots and then turn the bars of knots inwards; the return of the cord is indicated as before in fig. 555.

MacramÉ borders (figs. 556, 557, 558, 559).—Length of the single threads for No. 6 of Coton À tricoter D.M.C: 50 c/m.

Knot the threads on for both these borders in the ordinary way, followed by a single horizontal bar of knots. For fig. 556, make a triple slanting bar of knots, with 4 threads, slanting one from right to left and one from left to right; then make a single horizontal bar and add another series of triple bars slanting the opposite way; complete the pattern by a vertical bar, lay another cord and make a horizontal bar upon it on the wrong side of the work and finish by tying the threads together, two and two, as shown in fig. 558, detail a, cut them, detail b, and push the knot upwards, detail c.

For fig. 557 take 8 threads for a group of knots. Make all the bars slanting from right to left first, fig. 559, then take the 5th thread, counting from left to right, for the cord, fig. 559 again, and begin the second series of bars of knots, slanting from left to right. Fasten off the threads as already explained in fig. 558.

The same pattern can also be used as an insertion: bags for instance, look very well made of alternate stripes of this insertion and stripes made of flat knots. The openwork stripes must be wider than the close ones.

MacramÉ fringe (figs. 560 and 561).—Entire length of the threads, including the fringe, for No. 5 of Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C: 120 c/m.

1st row—knot on the threads, as in fig. 520, in the following order: 4 double blue threads, 3 single dark brown, 1 double light brown, 3 single dark brown; then again 4 double blue, and so on.

2nd row—divide the threads into groups, so that the brown threads come in the middle with 4 blue ones on either side. Begin on the left = cover the 4th blue thread, which comes nearest to the first brown one, with flat double knots, made over the 1st, 2nd and 3rd brown thread and the light brown one = cover the 3rd blue thread with the 4 brown threads and the 4th blue, which served as the cord in the 1st row of knots = cover the 2nd blue thread with the 4 brown and the 4th and 3rd blue = cover the 1st blue with the 4 brown and the 4th, 3rd and 2nd blue.