Page 350 - J. C. Turner "History and Science of Knots"

The History of Macrame' 343
Turin. The work, now known as Cavandoli work, is knotted in close horizontal
and vertical cording, in two colours, one for the background and one for the
design. The finish is a closely woven fabric, similar in appearance to tapestry.
This Cavandoli work is now a part of macramk, and it is frequently combined
with square knotting [3].

Fig. 3. From the Introduction to the Chapter on Square Knotting in The Ashley
Book of Knots
Macram6 then assumed what we would now call a low profile until the Second
World War, when it enjoyed a brief revival on both sides of the Atlantic. A
book on lace published in 1940 stated that: 'Macram6 threads are available
in abundance, and colours are plentiful.', which suggests that the hobby was
quite popular at that time. But there seem to be few examples of the period in
existence; and the practise of the art had faded out by the closing years of the
war. Perhaps history had repeated itself in that era. The craft's suitability for
long hours in dimly-lit drawing rooms of Georgian England made it equally
suitable for dispelling boredom during times spent in dimly-lit air raid shelters.
Curiously, one macram6 item that was frequently seen during the war, and is
still with us, is the shoulder lanyard on a soldier's uniform.
For the following 30 years it seems that the art was practised almost
exclusively at sea. This author, as a boy seaman, then supplemented his pit-
tance by making and selling knife belts, lanyards, and dog leads, and covering
telescopes for young Midshipmen.
In the late '60s and early '70s, a 'counter culture' boom began. People
rebelled against mass production and all that it stood for; all the old hand-
crafts were revived, and 'do-it-yourself' practices emerged. Spinning, weaving,
copperwork and leatherwork, batik and other crafts, all became popular; and
macram6 again came into its own. This time, it seems that the resurgence