The idea of tying knots is that they will hold something together and it won’t easily come apart. Fishermen and sailors use a lot of knots for different things—tying the sails, tying up to the dock, tying a lure on a fish line. People have been tying knots for thousands of years.

In the 1970s, macramé was being used everywhere from plant hangers to purses. Among other things, I made a coral color vest with Aunt Lydia’s Rug Yarn, all in macramé.

Ten or fifteen years later my basket maker friends were making small baskets made of half-hitch knots over a Styrofoam shape. After making a few of those, I carved an odd shape out of a piece of packing foam and started knotting. It turned out to be somewhat of a fish shape, but without fins. Totally useless but fun to do.

I discovered that knotting has a practical use for me. I sometimes have trouble staying awake if I’m sitting and listening all day in a class or conference. If I take a small knotting project with me, I can tie knots with the item in my lap while I listen and I don’t fall asleep.