Why Macrame?

My mother taught me (and my Girl Scout troup) how to do basic macrame back in 1990. I didn't use it again until May of 2007. It seems so random when you think about that 16-year gap, so what happened?

I had been making very simplistic beads-on-a-string necklaces, but it turns out that a single strand of waxed linen will fray and snap over time. I had to think of some way to reinforce it, and suddenly I recalled macrame. At first I wasn't very good. I will openly admit that. My knots were loose and uneven, just like my memory of being 10 years old. As I experimented with it, my technique improved and so did my bead-buying habits. Pretty soon, I was branching my knots out. I never looked at a book or online tutorial for this, I just make it up as I went along. I was so very proud when my first pirate choker was finished, and the response to it was universally favorable. I started adding different colored waxed linen into the mix, and after some experimentation I came up with the button-style choker.

Though I eventually did give in and start buying chain for more traditional necklace styles, I will not give up the macrame. Many of my customers love tying on their necklaces and chokers, because then they fit perfectly! I've also been told by some of my customers that they love my pieces because they have metal sensitivities that otherwise limit their jewelry options. I understand that the word "macrame" itself conjures up visions of hemp plant hangers and owls on faux wood-paneled walls with shag carpet and avocado green furniture. My macrame involves no hemp (it's too thick for my beads and I find it itchy on my skin), and I'm certainly not selling you 70s styles. This is macame for the 21st century.