rns that have a heading or a border of picots can not be worked on
any others. The pegs at the ends of the cushion are for fixing and
winding the long threads upon, which carry the knots, and which we shall
in future call "cords".

For making long lengths of macrame fringe, metal clamps, with
round-headed pegs attached to them top and bottom, to fasten the cords
to, as represented in fig. 514, will be found far better than a cushion,
as any number of threads can be knotted on to them at a time by pushing
them more or less closely together on the cord.

[Illustration: FIG. 514. CLAMPS FOR MACRAME FRINGE.]

Besides the cushion and clamps, you will require, some big glass-headed
pins, made expressly for the purpose, a crochet needle for pulling the
threads through the stuff when they have to be knotted on to an edge,
and a French metre or yard measure to measure the threads with; to these
implements may further be added, scissors and a metal comb and ruler for
cutting and straightening the ends of the threads.

The length of the threads must depend on their substance and size; that
is to say, that a knot will take up more of a coarse stiff thread than
of a fine pliable one, on which account, to avoid the necessity of
preliminary trials, the right length of thread, for the quality and size
of material, is given with each pattern. If, for any reason, our workers
should not follow the directions given, they must bear in mind that the
thicker and stiffer the material, the more they will have to allow for
the knots and vice versa.

FORMATION OF THE KNOTS.--Beginners must be careful, in macrame as in
tatting, not to move or slacken the cord, or horizontal thread that
carries the knots. The knots made by the "knotting-thread", as it will
be called in future, consist of loops formed over the cord and then
tightened. The knotting-thread and the cord are constantly changing
places, as you work, loops having to be made now with the one and now
with the other.

[Illustration: FIG. 515. KNOTTING ON THE THREADS.]

KNOTTING ON THE THREADS (fig. 515).--Excepting when you work with the
threads of a material obtained by unravelling and drawing out the cross
threads, you must knot on lengths of thread on to a cord; cut them
double the length the fringe is to be and fold them in half, so as to
form a loop by means of which you attach them to the cord, in the
following manner. Put the loop over the cord from the front and bring it
back