"Knot" again!

  I have been sorting a good bit of "junk" (otherwise known as treasures) that has accumulated in the craft room.  Michael, Elizabeth and I have begun our work on the next annual clue hunt and a lot of our supplies lie buried beneath everything that we do not need at the moment.  The craft room seems to be the handiest spot to stash anything and everything. Things are now being pulled and put in their proper places.  

  Chalk it up to serendipity, but I found something that has inspired a new (yet, old) craft.  Macrame!  Yep, that lovely hippy thing we all did back in the seventies.  As I lugged out a wall hanging that I made years...no decades..ago, a renewed interest in the craft spawned.  I shall now be in search for cords to knot!  The macrame piece that I found fits well with the Little Bayou House and for years has hung as a curtain on the front door.  It is an unique piece that acts as a backdrop for seashells, starfish and sand-dollars.  

  Macrame, as a skill, has evolved into some mighty intriguing art pieces.  The art has been around for centuries and has ties (pun intended!) to all regions of the world. Some archaeologists have found evidence dating pieces back as far as the 13th century. It seems that most cultures at some point delved into knot-tying for decorative and utilitarian purposes.

  As an art, macrame comes into vogue for a while then falls from favor with the "in" crowd.   My love for it has never wavered. This is perhaps due to my granddad teaching me the skill so many years ago.  The man was amazing!  It was his intention to teach me all sorts of skills and macrame was one of the first.  He explained how while he was in the navy, he and his fellow sailors would while away their off hours creating knotted masterpieces!  I learned knotting from a man that knew his stuff! My new interest is not quite the same as the retro pieces that I used to make.  I want to try new things!  Still, what is new is old and, for some strange reason, we just keep going in circles. Art is fun.