Ten Thousand Villages of Bluffton has invited Kara Gratz Zink, choir director in Bluffton for 23 years, to be its September Artist of the Month. Her macrame work is for sale in the store and on September 19 from 6:00-7:00 p.m., Kara will be doing a macrame demonstration.

Here’s how Zink started doing macrame:

“Each summer a friend and I challenge each other to learn or do something new. Three summers ago, I decided to learn macrame.  I saw a picture on Pinterest of some macrame keychains. There were written instructions along with the picture. So between that and some YouTube videos, the rest is history. 

“I don't really know the history of macrame, but I know it was popular in the 1970s.  Most people 10 or so years older than me recall a time when they used to do macrame.  

“I like working on a variety of things. I get bored if I make the same thing over and over again. I would say I like the small or medium projects the best because they are quicker to accomplish.  I like the feeling of finishing the project and seeing it through. The bigger items take so much longer but once they're finished it's so fun to see the final product.  

“Some of my favorite pieces are at my house or in my classroom. I have a pretty large yarn wall hanging in my dining room that is white, gray and black. I also have a driftwood piece in my classroom at Bluffton High School that is beige with different shades of green leaves.  And I really love the tan and brown beaded piece that I have displayed in Ten Thousand Villages.  

“There are quite a few Bluffton folks who have some of my macrame. I love when people find a picture and ask me if I can make it. I love the challenge of figuring out a new project. People have asked for many different things from coasters, keychains and wall hangings to wreaths, plant hangers and curtains.  

“I have a big list of items on a Pinterest board. People have sent me lots of pictures of fun new projects to try. It's a really fun hobby for me and stress relief. I'm the type of person who always needs to be doing something with my hands. So, I'm either doodling, knitting or macrame knotting.  

“On big projects when the strings tend to get tangled, I use rubber bands or clothespins to keep them from tangling. This summer I made a large curtain for a window. I had my husband help me secure it in our kitchen entryway so I could work on it.  I'm sure it was in everyone's way as they walked through my house, but it finally came together beautifully. I'm happy to have a husband that supports my creativity and can look past all my messy rolls of cord and piles of yarn.  “

From Ten Thousand Villages of Bluffton:

Although people in their fifties and sixties may think of it as a summer camp project, the origins of macrame date back to Arabic designs from the 13th century.

Ten Thousand Villages has some beautiful products made with this technique, which look like an elaborate weaving made of knots. The shop carries mini plant hangers and earrings made by the Nepal Knotcraft Center, which trains, employs and empowers socially and economically underprivileged women to do macrame.