Modern Macramé: 33 Stylish Projects for Your Handmade Home

Interior designer Katz updates the art of macramé and provides artisans with specific guidance for knotting creatively. After briefly highlighting macramé’s uses over the millennia, from camel harnesses in Arabia to the knotted vestments of royalty and more recent hippie lamp shades, Katz focuses on innovative uses and provides directions for a wide range of projects including hoop chairs and knotted daybeds. Other accoutrements for the home include knotted cords to conceal electrical wires, shades for block lamps, and a lighting fixture that is called the “Dancing Shadows Lantern.” The book identifies basic supplies, such as rope, scissors, and a measuring device. From there, it’s simply a matter of learning the knots and how to combine them. The step-by-step guidance for plant hangers, rugs, wall hangings, and general knotted miscellany will help even novice crafters achieve results that are both lovely and useful. Readers looking for an updated take on macramé will want to pick up this stylish and practical book. (May)