Viva Brighton Issue #45 November 2016

WE TRY...
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Macramé workshop
Knot the best read, but fun to do
First, a disclaimer. Some things in life are so much
more fun to do than they are to read about (in
the same way that going on your own holiday is
immeasurably more fun than looking at somebody
else’s holiday photos). This is certainly true of the
macramé-plant-hanger workshop I recently got to
try out and, whilst I’m duty bound to attempt an
explanation, I guarantee that you’ll have a lot more
fun if you just put down this magazine and book
yourself onto the next workshop. Every time you see
an asterisk, I want you to remember that.
Yes, I’d coveted those macramé plant hangers that
you see in the hipster hotels of Instagram-land. But
I’d also been aware that any attempt to teach myself
to make one would end in temper-tears. So I was
keen to be shown, by textiles graduate and macramé
master Harriet Brooks from Posh Totty.
First, she prepared the metres and metres of chunky
cotton cord that I’d need. I lost track of exactly how
much, but it was something like 32 metres cut into
eight equal lengths. I spent the next two hours lost
in deep concentration, oblivious to the incidental
things happening around me that might have made
this a more interesting read. What I was very aware
of was the cord, which I fiddled about with in something
like the following order:
1. Fold your eight lengths in half, creating 16 equal
strands and, leaving room for a hanging loop, wrap
another length of cord tightly around all stands.
Perform the sort of cunning knot that is the preserve
of fishermen and boy scouts.*
2. Tie at least three ‘foundation knots’, overlaying
four strands at a time in a ‘window’ formation with
the help of your thumb.*
3. Separate the 16 cords into groups of four.*
4. Taking one group of four, separate the outer two
strands and apply a copper bead to the central two.*
5. Bring the outer left cord across the front of the
two central cords, below the copper bead, and take
the outer right cord up, through and under.*
6. Tighten the knot and repeat 36 times, allowing
the knots to twist.*
7. Repeat steps 4-6 for the other three sets of four
cords until you have four twisted ‘ropes’.*
8. Separate the outer two cords of each twisted rope
and tie, at a plant-pot-holding sort of interval to the
outer two cords of the adjacent twisted rope in a
‘square knot’ by completing one knot as above, and
one knot the reverse of the above.*
9. Apply a copper bead and complete another square
knot, as above. Repeat for all remaining strands.*
10. Gather all the lengths together and bind around
with another length of cord, performing the same
mystical knot in step 1.*
11. Taaa daaaah! Stand back and marvel at your
creation.
See, I told you. Definitely more fun to do than to
read. So, if you’ve got designs on making your own,
ring Harriet immediately. There are cakes, too. LL
1 Bond Street Cottages, 01273 621311
poshtottydesigns.com
Photos by Lizzie Lower
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