Irish waxed linen

Irish waxed linen used in macrame

april 1st scavanging

April 1, 2011 in dollhouse+miniature, Irish waxed linen, necklace, scavenging | No comments

Antique Miniature Rocking Chair

I must confess I’m in the middle of a sewing binge right now. I’m currently consuming twice the recommended amount of fabric and defiantly defensive about changing my behavior or my perceived need to increase my wardrobe.

Until I get back to knotting here’s a peek at what my scavenging netted me from Town & Country Antiques in Livonia: another piece of furniture for the dollhouse I don’t own yet – a wee bit crooked yellow rocking chair, a rather elaborate pair of safety scissors, and a photo that reminds me of my sister and I (because we don’t look very much alike either). Draped on the chair is a macrame choker worked in Irish waxed linen that I once used as a class sample.

I hope you noticed the textured doily. My dear grandmother must have spent weeks crocheting all those yellow popcorns. The sturdiest of women, I will always be in awe of her innate talent.

groovy kind of love

August 4, 2010 in 60's, ebay, Irish waxed linen, necklace, vintage | No comments


I’m always on the lookout for old macramé books and pamphlets on ebay.  Of course one could re-create the original designs, but with a little imagination it’s not hard to update these once groovy designs into something you’d love to wear in the 21st century.

Looking through “Symphony of Strings” (1976) one design in particular caught my eye because it doesn’t lie flat but rather loops around itself in a sculptural way. In fact it’s called “Looping Collar”.  For this necklace I made three modifications to the pattern.  First, I shortened the center width because I had a much narrower focal bead.  Second, I wanted to add an adjustable length clasp.  Third, I wanted the back to curve gently so that it lay smoothly on the back of the neck.

The dichroic bead was purchased at a gem show a few years back. It’s not very colorful but it fits my mostly black wardrobe. The pattern calls for 18 yards of small diameter waxed linen. Small diameter probably means a 3 ply, but I used what I had on hand and I loved the results.

About the cord, I used 7 ply Crawford Irish Waxed Linen in butterscotch.  There’s a comment on waxed linen in the book which states “This is a particularly good type to use while you are learning because of its superior workability: it is small and well finished, sheds little, holds tension well and gives good definition to knots”.  For a fab listing of waxed linen sources check out the BasketMakers list of suppliers.