It was long crafted by sailors of yesteryear as well as by the hippies and tie-dye shirt-wearing folks of the 1970s. The fine art of macramé knotting is back in town thanks to anti-disposable buffs Josefine Halfwordson and Mimmi Staaf – both in the business of consumerism, but with one eye firmly on  longevity and responsibility.

Josefine, tell us a little bit of yourself.

I am a furniture designer and run Betonggruvan, an interior design shop that exists in both on and offline format. I sell hand-picked wares for the home and carry only items that are hard-wearing and become more beautiful as they age. My colleague Mimmi runs her own combined upholstery and interior design shop in Midsommarkransen in Stockholm. Her personal focus lies in restoring old pieces of furniture, which are then sold in the storefront along with an assortment of hand picked items from various manufacturers.

You started teaching the fine art of macramé knotting together. How come you have developed an affinity to this old tradition?

Mimmi and I met through Instagram and quickly became friends, both sharing the same enthusiasm for traditional craftsmanship. By bringing old traditions and crafts into modern homes and culture, people became curious and cheered us along. By catering to the inquisitive minds of the public handy craft-eye, we decided to start a class teaching macramé knotting.

What would you say are the different uses for objects made of macramé?

I’d say that if you want you can fabricate almost anything out of macramé knots; floor mats, key fobs, flowerpots, just to name a few. I once saw a giant macramé knotted Eiffel Tower on a visit to Tokyo. The main concern or issue is that you have to pace yourself so that the macramé ropes don’t immerse your home.

How come this 1970s design is so current at the moment?

I’d say that it has to do with the whole green movement and way of thinking. The general public of today has come to appreciate recycling, re-using and re-purposing existing objects. Along with home growing, plant-dyeing and making long-pile rugs, macramé has a natural place.