Guest Author - Debbie Witenski

Macrame' knotting technique was very popular in the 1970's, and now has made a dramatic comeback. They used jute in the 70's, but now we use the oh-so popular hemp. You can use other kinds of materials like; cotton, rayon, linen and others.

Now I will tell you about some of the different knots. First is the half-stitch. This is worked with two or more strands. One strand is knotted over one or more of the other strands. You can work from right to left or left to right, or even in combination of the two. Before you start your piece , tie a half-hitched loop in your cord for your clasps.

The half-knot is a series of knots worked from left to right, this way creates a clockwise spiral. And if you work the knots from right to left, the spiral will create a counter clockwise spiral.

The Square knot is done with four strands. Two strands are used for knotting and the other two are the "fillers", what you make your knots around. This knot is made by doing two half-knots, one is going left to right, the next going right to left. Once you've learned these basic knots, you will be creating all kinds of jewelry.

Hemp jewelry requires very little supplies. You need your twine, beads, a safety pin and your knowledge of knots. That's it! You can make this type of jewelry on the go. You can take it almost anywhere.

Take your safety pin and poke it through your top knot and pin it to a throw pillow or something in front of you. Then, you tie the middle strings to your big toe. Yes, it sounds a little weird, but it really works! This keeps the middle strings straight and keeps tension in them, which makes it easier and faster to finish.

There are many ways of doing knots. You can do the knots in a different sequence, change the colors or add more strings in the middle.

If you don't want to use your throw pillow, you can use a clip board. This is also good for when you are traveling. It's easy to take with you and doesn't take up much space.

I found some interesting facts about hemp, that I'd like to share with you.

* Coat the ends of your cord with clear nail polish, it can prevent fraying.

* To determine the length of cord, multiply the size of your finished piece by 8. So if your making a 7 inch bracelet, you'll need approximately 56 inches of cord.

* Hemp is the oldest cultivated fiber plant in the world.

* Save leftover cord scraps to practice new knots with.

* When learning a new knot, use different colored cords.

* For a more dressy look, try using ribbon or rat-tail as the cording.

Have fun trying out all the different knots.