Handmade History28 Apr 2025

Episode 16: Macrame & Knotting

Sponsored by Folkwear Patterns: Visit www.folkwear.com today and sew something extraordinary.

If you ever made macrame anklets out of hemp or friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss, you joined in on a tradition of macrame that is 3000 years old! Macrame fringe appears on stone carvings from the Assyrian civilization--a kingdom of Mesopotamia--that date to the 1000s BCE. The tradition has continued in the Mediterranean up through the present day, and it spread (perhaps via the Moors of Northern Africa) to Spain and Europe, as well as the Americas. In the US, macrame became popular in the Victorian era as part of the Victorian obsession with lace, and again in the 1970s. We talk about why this simple but extraordinary craft gained popularity with the hippies.

We also touch on the broader tradition of knotting, which has been a part of human activity since humans became humans (and maybe even earlier!). We explore sailors' knotting art (a part of marlinspike seamanship) and how sailors may have helped spread the craft of macrame.

Also, those embroidery floss bracelets use a stitch created by a Victorian woman, Valentina Cavandoli, who ran a school in Italy.

Hear all these fun facts and more in this episode!

Show notes & sources here: https://tinyurl.com/mpesdbxu

Do you macrame? We'd love to see your creations! Or have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com, or visit our website at handmadehistory.com.

Happy listening!

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(44)

Bonus Episode 4: Frocktails Recap!

Alicia went with our Other Sister, Monica, to Frocktails Boston this October. Tune in as Alicia and Monica recap their experience, from bingo boards to raffle prizes, the fantastic theme (Enchanted Fo...

2 Nov 38min

Episode 40: Felt in All Forms

This episode is brought to you by Felted Sky, a needlefelting kit company. If you're looking to refresh your fiber stash or grab a mini-kit, check out feltedsky.com today. And as a special treat to ou...

26 Okt 22min

Episode 39: Witch CRAFTS and Amulets

It's officially spooky season, and this week we're talking about crafts that people have used for thousands of years to protect themselves from witches and the evil eye. Whether or not you believe in ...

12 Okt 21min

Episode 38: Mae Reeves & JB Stetson, Two Epic American Hatmakers

A milliner of fabulous hats & pillar of the Black community and the creator of the iconic cowboy hat both started their companies in Philadelphia, PA. Mae Reeves and JB Stetson's iconic work could not...

28 Sep 20min

Episode 37: Needlepoint!

What do Mary Martin, Rosey Grier, and Loreta Swit have in common? They all wrote needlepoint books! We're kicking off Season 3 with a deep dive into needlepoint. With stops at King Tut's tomb in 1922,...

14 Sep 26min

Bonus Episode 3: A Chat with Jane Healey, author of The Saturday Evening Girls Club, a novel

Join us for a very special bonus episode! Alicia sat down to chat with Jane Healey, the author of The Saturday Evening Girls Club, a novel set in the early 1900s. The SEGC was a real club that launche...

27 Mai 20min

Episode 36: Laura Ashley, Iconic Designer & Company

If you were a 90s kid (like Alicia was) or the little sister of a 90s kid (like Sonia was), chances are Laura Ashley influenced your bedroom design. Laura Ashley, born Laura Mountney in Wales in 1925,...

25 Mai 20min

Episode 35: A Sampler of Samplers from Around the World

Close your eyes and picture a sampler. We bet you are picturing a cross-stitched design with an alphabet on it. This type of sampler is quite common in England and North America, but there are many ot...

11 Mai 22min