Bryan Cowles, age 12, of Willingboro, N.J., for his question:

WHEN WAS MACRAME DEVELOPED?

Macrame is the art of creating practical and decorative articles by knotting cord, rope or string. It can be used to make clothing and such accessories as belts and purses as well as sculptures, wall hangings and other ornamental items.

Arabian weavers probably developed knotting during the 1200s. But the word "macrame" was not used until about the 1400s. The word comes from an Arabic or Turkish word for "fringe."

During the 1800s, sailors knotted such items as bottles covers and nets.

Many individual cords are knotted together to make a macrame article The two basic knots used are the clove hitch and the square knot. These knots may be combined with each other or with different knots in an unlimited number of arrangements.

Beads, bells, feathers and other small objects are often worked into macrame projects for variety.