If macramé conjures up visions of jute plant hangers from the 70s with the usual shudder, then think again.  Before this folksy makeover happened, macramé was far daintier and more likely to be used for smaller projects such as jewelry.  Now it can be again, with the aid of some new thin cords and, of course, those traditional knots.

There are some glorious projects in here that almost make you forget about those plant hangers; they just don’t look like the same craft.  Add beads and other jewelry findings, and you have some beautiful pieces, from necklaces to earrings, cell phone charms to rings, chokers and lots of bracelets.  Possibly because the author was inspired to take up this craft after seeing a micro macramé bracelet, there are more of these in here than anything else, including a watchstrap.  The most important part of the book is the instructions, and there are some excellent staged photographs to aid you as you learn the knots.  I’ve got other books on this topic and personally I find that these photographs are a lot easier to follow than diagrams (especially if they are only one color), as the threads all get in a muddle easily without any color difference.  There are also instructions on how to make a padded work board, and beading around cabochons.  There are lots of useful diagrams with captions for every project, too; so in my opinion, this is the most foolproof way I have seen yet to learn this rewarding but tricky craft.  This book was originally published in the US, so the list of cords and threads will be familiar to US crafters, but locating them in the UK is not easy.  That point aside, this is a beautiful and useful book that shows you how to master the intricacies of a craft that has hitherto baffled this reviewer, but does no longer.