SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
DIRECTIONS:
JOANN HACKS:
- Macrame cording
- K+C roving yarn
- Empty frame (preferably floating frame with inner frame)
- Scissors
DIRECTIONS:
- Cut 30 lengths of cording approximately 4 times the height of frame.
- Remove glass from floating frame. Attach the cording to the inner frame. (If there is no inner frame use regular frame.)
- Attach cording in larkshead knots to top of frame. (Fold each length of yarn in half. Position looped end over and under top of frame. Feed ends of cording through the loop and pull snugly. Repeat with all cording.)
- Divide yarn into groups of 6 larkshead knots. Weave top triangle pattern using half hitch knots. Starting at left, make first half hitch knot. Pull the first pair of strings taut. Take the next pair of strings to the right, fold over left strings in a backwards "L" shape. Pull ends of "L" under the left strings and up through the hole created by the "L" shape. Gently pull until a knot is formed. Repeat to create double half hitch knot.
- Move on to the next set of strings. Continue until all strings have been tied - there will be 15 knots.
- Begin the next layer of knots, which will form the center layer of the triangle. This time exclude the outer pairs of strings of each grouping. Create 2 double half hitch knots with the center 4 pairs strings of each grouping.
- Finally, create the last set of knots using the 2 middle pairs of strings of each grouping. There should be 5 complete triangle shapes when finished.
- Starting at the left and about halfway down the frame, tie a double half hitch knot using the first 2 pairs of strings. Repeat the process, this time using the right two strings from the first knot and the next two strings to the right. For the second double half hitch knot, pull the knot just a little above the first knot. Continue pulling the knots a little higher than the previous knot to create a diagonal line of knots. Create a second line of knots a few inches below using the same process.
- Finish the cording by tying off the cords in pairs with a simple knot to the base of the frame. When all cords are tied off, fold the first pair of strings up above the first knot. Tie a single half hitch knot. Using the tail of cording from this knot, tie another half hitch knot above the second base knot. Repeat until you have worked your way to the right side of the frame.
- Trim all excess strings from base of frame, leaving 1" or 2" to tighten the strings as needed while weaving.
- Use roving yarn to weave pattern into the macrame composition. Cut yarn into 4ft to 8 ft pieces depending on desired thickness of the weave. Double or quadruple fold the yarn before weaving.
- To weave, fold yarn length in half and fold over left outer strings. Push the top half of yarn over the first set of strings AND under the bottom half of the yarn. Push the bottom half of the yarn up and over the next set of strings AND under the bottom half of the yarn. Repeat this process across the composition. When you reach the end of the strings, wrap yarn around the last set of strings and weave back in the opposite direction. Leave a few extra inches when finished with one color of yarn and weave the extra inches into the back side of the composition. Trim excess inches.
- Push finished macrame weaving back into the outer frame and hang.
JOANN HACKS:
- Weave yarn in even increments. For example, this composition started with 30 sets of cords, so weave using every 2, 3, 5, or 6 strings, numbers divide that divide evenly into 30. Do not pull yarn tightly when weaving, it will create more texture and will be easier to correct if you weave loosely.
- Make macrame knots firm, but not tight, so they can be untied and retied as needed.