Tutorial 4--Macrame Bookmark

This is a tutorial for a macrame bookmark.  According to the dictionary, macrame was originally a  Turkish word for a kind of fringe on hand-towels.  The word "macrame" can be used as a noun representing special knots, to describe the technique of knot-tying, or as a verb.

I won't be making any hand towels, but I will be using macrame to make a bracelet out of embroidery thread, which is a popular material for such projects.  A wonderful thing about macrame is that it requires few tools other than a pair of scissors, and your hands.

Tutorial
Making a Macrame Bookmark, 7 inches (18 cm) long

Difficulty Level
Very Easy

Materials

• 2 skeins of embroidery thread, in different colors.  I used DMC brand, one yellow, one brown.  There are 6 separate strands in each skein.  Do not separate the strands.  Instead of embroidery thread, you can use hemp or yarn.
• Scissors

Time Needed
1 hour


Instructions
1)  Cut a 50 inch (127 cm) length of yellow embroidery thread.  Do not separate the strands.  All 6 strands will be used at the same time.  I will use the word "cord" to denote all 6 strands of thread of a single color.

2)  Cut another length of brown embroidery thread, same length as the first, and, again, do not separate the strands.

3)  Measure 13 inches (33 cm) from one end of both the brown and the yellow embroidery thread.  Fold.

5)  Tie an Overhand knot.  Tighten the knot as tightly as possible, leaving a loop about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) long.

6)  Separate the cords so that 2 are in the center, one on the left, and one on the right.  The two cords in the center are called the Holding Cords; their purpose is to provide a base to work with  The cords on the left and right are called Working Cords; they will be used to tie knots onto the Holding Cords.

7)  Place the left (yellow) cord over all the other cords.

Tip:  If the cords are too long to work with, roll each cord up and and put a clip on it.  You can also use a clipboard or pins to secure the top of the bookmark, so that it doesn't move as much while you are tying.  You can even safety pin it to your pants.

8)  Place the right cord over the left cord from Step 7.

9)  Tuck the right cord under the 2 center cords and up through the space created by Step 7.

10)  Tighten by pulling on the two working cords.  Note that the previously left and right (yellow and brown) cords have switched positions, i.e. the cord that used to be on the left is now on the right and vice versa.

11)  Place the current right (yellow) cord over all the other cords.

12)  Place the current left cord over the right cord from Step 11)

13) Tuck the left cord under the 2 center cords and up through the space created by Step 11.

14)  Tighten by pulling on the two working cords.  Steps 7 through 14 form a Square Knot.

Tip: Note that in both steps 7 and 11, the yellow cord is placed over all the other cords.  If you forget which step of the square knot you are working on, simply remember that the yellow cord is placed over all the other cords.

15)  Continue making square knots until you have 7 inches of square knots.

16)  Trim the cords at the end of the bracelet all to the same length as the shorted end.  Using all 4 cords, tie an overhand knot as close as possible to the final square knot.

17)  Separate the ends into 2 pairs.  Tie overhand knots with each pair, near the end of the cords.