This macramé workshop was a very special one. It all began with a random message on Instagram three months ago, inquiring about online classes. The sender from Dubai had a request. She introduced herself as a mother to a child with special needs, expressing her 11 year old daughter's recent interest in tying braids and her own desire to learn macramé alongside her daughter. She told me that her daughter was good at learning arts and wanted to know if I could take sessions for her level in slow pace.
I had previous experience teaching macramé to kids with down syndrome but that was offline classes. However, I told her that with her support, we could make it work. As I juggled preparations for a significant event, I promised to reconnect post that to delve deeper into their needs and expectations. She came with a clear objective in mind – to use macrame as an art cum exercise to strengthen her daughter's fine motor skills. I was delighted by the prospect of helping her and her daughter in their objective.
I proposed a workshop of four sessions of one hour each, with two sessions per week. I chose easy designs, aiming to cover at least six knots over the course of the sessions. The intention was to enable them to create more designs and patterns in beyond what was taught in the workshop.
In the first session, I planned to teach a macramé tag. I used storytelling technique to assist her in learning the knotting process. With her mother's assistance, the little one quickly grasped the knot. Throughout the session, her enthusiasm for art was evident. Towards the end of the session, during our casual conversation, I discovered her passion for food. Despite being mostly quiet and focused during the class, she eagerly engaged in discussing food topics, even interviewing me about my cooking skills. I jokingly admitted my lack of culinary expertise, which earned me a gentle scolding from her. She expressed her love for North Indian cuisine, particularly dal makhni. Eventually, her mother intervened to end the impromptu interview, concluding our first session on a positive note. After the session, her mother sent me a message expressing gratitude for the enjoyable and simplistic teaching style.
During the second session, I had to travel to my hometown for elections, but thanks to the benefits of virtual sessions, I took all the necessary materials along. Only thing I had to figure out was the seating arrangement, considering lighting, etc., which my sister helped with—sweet of her, considering she didn't have much of a choice! Ha ha! But jokes aside, I can't thank her enough for always being there to support me, despite her busy schedule as a dentist.
I was pleased to learn that the little one remembered the knots from the previous session. The second session proceeded smoothly, and at the end, the little one proudly shared a picture of her completed project.
In the third session, back in Bengaluru, I received a delightful surprise from the little one—a picture of a mini wall hanging she had created with her mother's help. Interestingly, it resembled the design I had planned to cover on day four, demonstrating their enthusiasm for the art. During this session, we continued our lively chit-chat, during which I was jokingly scolded again for not focusing enough on cooking alongside teaching knots.
Since the little one had already tried the knot planned for the fourth class, I consulted with her mother by offering two pattern options. Based on their choice, we proceeded to create our final piece together. We exchanged promises to continue practicing our respective crafts and to meet someday, perhaps during their visit to India. Thus, concluded my first international virtual macramé workshop—a journey filled with connection, creativity, and the joy of crafting together.
-Archana Harish
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