I'm thinking of the thick cord creations, hanging basket holders and wallhangings and stuff. Gimp and frienship bracelets are a closely related craft, though. Actually, so is bobbin lace, now that I think about it.
This was distinct from gimp and friendship bracelets, which I totally did (starting before 6th grade). There was reasonably thick cord involved, folded in half and knotted around itself to produce a product maybe a centimeter across. Similar to the second picture on this page.
Oh, hm, that's something entirely different. Macramé (at least, what I mean when I say macramé) is mostly square knots. And frequently a lot of empty space. Although the internet seems to have a much broader idea of macramé than I do.
yes. my mother was into it in the mid-70s and used to make hanging basket holders and necklaces. She taught me the basics, but I never did as much as she did. I have got a necklace that she made me. (She died in 1978)
I think that I must've learned from my mother. I don't recall learning (or doing) it anywhere else, and I know that we worked on (or at least talked about) projects together, and that she can do it, too.
I learned all of the abovementioned crafts (macrame, friendship bracelets, gimp) as a kid at summer camp. I can't remember if I was officially taught during craft time, or if it was just something that the campers taught each other or a counselor got us started on. It was a BIG thing, though, and I LOVED it. I think that got me started on my lifelong love of handcrafts, actually.
I think I could still do all of it. I would be rust at first, but I think I'd pick it up again very quickly.
Actually, the one craft you mentioned that I've never done is bobbin lace, although I'd like to try it someday.
Bobbin lace is fun. I did it once at Historic Rittenhousetown Day, and I really wanted to come back and learn more the next year, only that was the last year they held it.
Funny how times change. Nowadays I just would've gotten the lady's email address. I wonder if she's still alive. In my memory, she's ancient, but I was maybe eight years old, so she was quite possibly just in her sixties or something.
Yes, I did. From a community rec&ed class. I could still do it, but only with some review; and, I was never very versed in the craft, so I never could do much.
except that they went in a spiral and we put plastic beads in them. I'm pretty sure I learned it at camp at some point, and I could probably still do it given a little time to re-figure it out. There was only one stitch, which involved making the cord into a "4" shape. (You used two strands, folded in half, and knotted the outer two around the inner two, and sometimes switched them.) And yeah, this was viewed as a completely separate activity from gimp (which I definitely learned at Girl Scout camp at a young age) and friendship bracelets (which I actually didn't learn how to do until ninth grade).
Yes, that. And I did some that spiraled, too, although I don't remember if one did something special to achieve it, or if you just poked it until it was spiral-shaped.
The "4" shape is square knots (although wikipedia seems to prefer "reef knots;" I think it's the difference between people who use knotting for crafts and people who use knots to hold heavy things in place with ropes), or granny knots, if you do them in the wrong order. Maybe granny knots are how you get the twists.
And yes, materials and knots were different for gimp and friendship bracelets, but some of the skills were the same, and I think there's a lot of overlap between people who know them.
I learned macrame when I was a teenager in the 70's and macrame was BIG!!! Everyone was macraming then. Similar to how everyone knits now. My mom and I both learned then from books, other people and the macrame store. We lived close to a wonderful store that sold macrame supplies. It was a huge store with more floor space than most yarn stores now. Going to the macrame store was much like going to a yard store is now.
If anyone wants to learn, I still have my books....
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branchandroot
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Date: 11 Oct 2011 01:41 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 12 Oct 2011 07:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 11 Oct 2011 02:54 pm (UTC)I think I could still do all of it. I would be rust at first, but I think I'd pick it up again very quickly.
Actually, the one craft you mentioned that I've never done is bobbin lace, although I'd like to try it someday.
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Date: 12 Oct 2011 07:59 am (UTC)Funny how times change. Nowadays I just would've gotten the lady's email address. I wonder if she's still alive. In my memory, she's ancient, but I was maybe eight years old, so she was quite possibly just in her sixties or something.
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Date: 11 Oct 2011 07:28 pm (UTC)--sm.
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Date: 11 Oct 2011 08:31 pm (UTC)except that they went in a spiral and we put plastic beads in them. I'm pretty sure I learned it at camp at some point, and I could probably still do it given a little time to re-figure it out. There was only one stitch, which involved making the cord into a "4" shape. (You used two strands, folded in half, and knotted the outer two around the inner two, and sometimes switched them.) And yeah, this was viewed as a completely separate activity from gimp (which I definitely learned at Girl Scout camp at a young age) and friendship bracelets (which I actually didn't learn how to do until ninth grade).
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Date: 12 Oct 2011 08:05 am (UTC)The "4" shape is square knots (although wikipedia seems to prefer "reef knots;" I think it's the difference between people who use knotting for crafts and people who use knots to hold heavy things in place with ropes), or granny knots, if you do them in the wrong order. Maybe granny knots are how you get the twists.
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Date: 12 Oct 2011 12:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 12 Oct 2011 08:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12 Oct 2011 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 12 Oct 2011 10:14 am (UTC)If anyone wants to learn, I still have my books....
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Date: 17 Oct 2011 06:59 pm (UTC)