Method:—Wind the thread round a piece of cardboard sufficiently wide—that is, almost twice the depth of the required fringe; cut the threads along one edge of the cardboard, and the strands are ready for use. Put the hook into the material near the edge from behind; lay the loop of the doubled length of thread on the hook and draw it through, then slip the two ends through this loop and tighten (Fig. 35).
Many pretty variations may be made by adding beads or narrow ribbons, tassels or knots (Plate VI.). Those tasteful finishing touches add greatly to the appearance of the work.
Fig. 36.
Knotted Fringe.—Fig. 36 has the strands in groups knotted together, then divided and knotted again. These knots take up a fair quantity of thread, thus the length allowed for the fringe must depend on the number of rows of knots, as well as on the coarseness or fineness of the thread used. The thicker and firmer the texture of the strands, the greater the length of thread required for the knots. The method of making the knots being shown in the figure, it needs little explanation. After the first row of knots is formed, the second row is made up of the groups of threads hanging from these knots—they are divided, and half a group is taken from the right and left respectively. Three or four rows may be added in this way, each succeeding row of knots coming between those of the row above.
Fig. 37.
A Flat Knot.—Fig. 37 gives a flat knot used in fringe-making by macramé workers. At one time (in the sixteenth century), priests’ vestments were frequently trimmed with this handsome type of fringe, consisting chiefly of knots grouped into various patterns. It was then known under the name of “punto a gruppo”; later it was called macramé, from an Arabic word meaning ornamental fringe or trimming. The Genoese used it for the trimming of bridal dresses. These knots can be added directly to a hem, or worked over a cord.
Fig. 38.