“Tying” My Way to Success: An Introduction to My Macramé Learning Project

Over my Christmas vacation, I was given a macramé kit in a gift exchange with my family. This was a form of art that I always enjoyed looking at and wished that I could do! However, I never seemed to dive into trying it. My first-ever macramé trial was one of the most frustrating experiences I have ever had. The knots wouldn’t tie, the photos were confusing, and it just didn’t look right. There were multiple times I had to put it away and take a break to not get irritated with a bunch of strings. Since then I have not touched the kit… Although this is something I have always wanted to learn, I found myself extremely irritated with how it would not cooperate with me! 

This learning project came along at what I believe is a perfect time. One of my dogs suffered a double ACL tear at the age of five months old, this went undiagnosed for over a year. He has now been getting physical therapy for a couple of months in an attempt to avoid surgery, but that does not seem to be an option. The cost here in Saskatoon is just over $10,000 to fix both legs, but I was able to find someone in Edmonton who will fix both for around $6,000. All of this veterinary research was occurring at the time we were discussing our learning projects. At this time I convinced myself to restart my macramé journey! With the goal of becoming skilled enough to sell products to raise funds for my dog’s surgery! I know that with this motivation I will be able to dedicate time and significant effort to learning how to excel at a skill I have wanted to learn for a long time.

To get started I did some research on different styles of macramé and what supplies are required for each style. As I learned more I decided to start with the most simple approach I could find, making keychains. This will hopefully help me get comfortable with different styled knots, patterns, and designs before diving into more complex things. I ordered some supplies from Michaels and began to complete my first couple of keychain styles. With the help of a fantastic blog I found, I was able to watch videos, look at photos, and view inspirational designs! I was able to create three keychains in different styles! (not my best work, but it was my first attempt and it shows me where I am in my learning journey). This time around I truly enjoyed the process, I got to destress and focus on this one task.

I plan to complete around six keychains of different styles to teach myself different patterns. Once I complete those, (only if I feel comfortable) I will begin working on a small wall-hanging piece. I hope that after each project I can progress into a slightly more complicated design. I have found a few blog resources to help with designs, such as this one. I am looking forward to progressing the difficulty as I learn more, and work into more complicated designs! 

Wish me luck on this new journey!