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In the centuries gone by Arab weavers of hand-loomed fabrics used to knot the excess yarn along the edges of the fabric and make them into fringes on bath towels, shawls and veils to give decorative effect. This textile-making craft which uses knots on thread or twine or hemp instead of weaving or knitting is called macrame.

Along with the weavers products the macrame craft also traveled to Europe. Sailors picked up the craft and started using macrame to decorate the handles of knives and other objects; they used to sell or barter these articles at the ports where the ship would call.

This gave a greater circulation to this craft. It spread all over the world and in the course of time it became fashionable. Fashion circles of Victorian England and America started using macrame widely to provide fancy trimmings for colored and black costumes. Many other articles such as belts and hammocks also were commonly made in macrame.

In the course of time the craft of macrame fell out of fashion when mass produced goods became cheap and were easily available. Now it has become fashionable again and is gaining popularity. Macrame easily lends itself to different projects easily. A wide variety of items from and from jewelry to Christmas decorations and from plant hangers to furniture are being made in macrame.

Articles such as wall hangings, draperies, bedspreads and tablecloths in macrame are very popular and in great demand. Jewelry items such as bracelets, earrings, chokers, ankle bracelets, etc are popular as gift items. Small jean shorts, plant hangers and flower pots are some of the other items that are very much in vogue.

In macrame you rely on a wide variety of knots to make a design and achieve the result, while in sewing and knitting you use needles for that purpose. There is a wide range of macram? knots, some are simple and some more complicated. It is the macrame knot that decides the pattern that will emerge when you make macrame.

There is a wide range of different types of macrame knots such as larkshead knot, square knot and granny knot, etc. Sliding knot and figure-of-8 climbing knot are some other commonly used macrame knots. Tying the macrame knots is a skill which you can develop with practice.

But learning to make knots in ropes is only half the story. You need select macrame patterns, select one that will be right for what you intend to make. A wide range of macrame patterns are available and each pattern can use only certain types of knots successfully.

The modern internet communication has made it easy for people to give and receive macrame instructions. There are many websites to tell you how to macrame. They specialize in imparting macrame instructions with detailed illustrations or photographs, many websites provide tutorials telling how to macrame so that even a novice can learn such arts and crafts easily. Basically macrame is a craft that can be learnt only by practicing it. More and more people, especially women, now want to learn this ancient craft. Some want to learn it as a hobby and some even think of making a career out of it.

Have you ever thought about trying the magnificent experience of gliding your way through the smooth and sleepy waters of the ocean? Ever thought about the thrill of maneuvering a sleek boat through choppy rills and rivulets, gushing rivers and bubbling streams? Do you dream of a sport that takes you outdoors in the sun, water and lush, green foliage of forests, that will not only challenge and test your skill, but also take you to faraway places you hadn’t dreamt of? If you do, then kayaking, with its combination of unspoiled natural surroundings pitted against technical expertise, is the ultimate sport for you. An important part of the expertise, of course, comes from first taking lessons in a hired kayak, and eventually, in choosing the right one to buy. An inappropriate purchase can cost dearly on the high seas!

You can choose from a wide range of kayaks from sit-on sea kayaks or kayaks for white water. Before buying a kayak choose what type of water surface you will visit more often. In this way you can cut short your search. If gentle kayaking down the river is your style, then purchase a touring kayak.

Sea kayaks are long, generally 10 to 22 feet in length, while white water rafting boats are shorter, averaging 9 feet or less. As shorter boats are much more easy to maneuver than the longer ones that usually require a lot of expertise, it is recommended that beginners start with a smaller vessel that can be increased in size over a period of time and with added skill. Once experience is gained the increase in the size of the boat becomes especially desirable for enhanced fast paddling and tracking.

Before you buy a kayak take the time to sit in the boat so that you can feel if you’re comfortable or not. Make sure that you adjust the backrest, seat, and footrest to get a feel for the way you sit. Take the kayak out on water before making your final choice to see how it handles. Remember that a kayak is an important purchase and it’s crucial that you have the right fit for you and your kayaking purpose.

Bring along your spray skirt while purchasing a kayak. Make sure it fits any boat that you want to buy so that you don’t end up buying a new spray skirt for your new kayak.

As a beginner, it is a good idea to weigh the benefits accruing from the sizes of the hulls and the material they are constructed from. A small hull size in plastic, while not necessarily appealing from an aesthetic point of view, is ideal for a beginner in sea kayaking and a wooden hull, though considered attractive, is high on maintenance costs and expensive in the long run, especially in the event it is damaged.

The key thing about kayak buying is that like every other important purchase, it ought to be done in consultation with an expert, well versed in the art of kayak buying, thereby leading to the incredible and memorable experience and thrill of kayaking.

Copyright 2006, Melody Veloce, All Rights Reserved. This article may be published on web sites or in newsletters provided this notice and the resource box is included without ammendment.

If you’ve ever considered a British Virgin Islands vacation, you probably have heard it called the Caribbean’s sailing capitol. There are many excellent reasons for this name, from the weather to the communities on the islands.

There are very good reasons the British Virgin Islands are so perfect for sailing. First, the weather is warm year-round, with excellent trade winds blowing nearly constantly up to 25 knots, and a little stronger in winter - perfect for catching in sails. The islands are pocked with little bays and small anchorage points ideal for anchoring and snorkeling, swimming, or just enjoying the views of the closely-placed islands. Because the archipelago is so dense with islands, the waters stay exceptionally smooth, even where the channels run deep - this is great not just for sailing, but also for protecting the many beautiful reefs scattered throughout.

Chartering a private yacht in the British Virgin Islands is the ideal way to explore this unique archipelago. You have the freedom to move from island to island, enjoying each perfect beach, snorkeling in crystal waters off coral reefs sprinkled with anemone and colorful tropical fauna. If this sounds ideal to you, you’ll be glad to know that there are more charter yachts located in the British Virgin Islands than anywhere in the world.

It’s a good thing you can rent a yacht, too; most of the fifty islands that make up the BVI are inaccessible except by water. Both Windward and Leeward islands offer a remarkable variety of ecosystems for you to explore, from the mountainous terrain of Treasure Island to the flat sands of Dead Chest Cay, from sea caves to thick jungle.

Those mountains and valleys and beaches of the British Virgin Islands are nearly unspoilt. Unlike many of the islands in the Caribbean, the BVI aren’t touristy or built up with casinos and tall hotels. Often, you’ll find the towns and villages here lack even traffic lights and the traffic to justify them. Instead, you’ll find islands filled with peace and beauty, quiet glorious sunsets and the symphony of jungle birds drifting to the beaches nearby. You can hear yourself think on the British Virgin Islands, a rare treat in today’s world.

All this natural beauty doesn’t come easily. The British Virgin Islands are recognized all over the world for the efforts they’ve taken to protect their ecosystem above and below the water. The BVI’s National Parks Trust protects the coral reefs and underwater beauty of the Islands, creating a perfect snorkeling habitat for you to explore or for scientists to investigate. Since so many snorkeling spots and other BVI locations are inaccessible other than via water, that yacht charter is the ideal way to explore all the parts of the islands. Imagine it: skimming over the water, exploring beaches and caves and corals during the day, watching the perfect sunsets at night, and then dinner at one of the softly lit restaurants on shore, looking back at your yacht as it awaits your return for the evening. It’s a life away from the one you normally live.

The presence of almost constant trade winds in Tortola, the warm temperature of the seas, the idyllic coastline with its pristine white sand beaches, fringed by swaying palm trees - all these aspects combine to produce perfect yachting waters. With upwards of 50 bays and cays and anchorages to select from, it is little wonder that the British Virgin Islands are amongst the Caribbean’s most popular sailing areas.

The scenery from your yacht, as you cruise through the perfect blue waters of the Caribbean, will delight even the most experienced travelers. Novice sailors will enjoy the security of knowing that they are very rarely out of sight of land. There’s nearly always an island close by. In fact, perhaps the only time they would be out of sight of land altogether might be if you decided to sail north to Anegada -the drowned island - a truly captivating island, of coral reef beginnings, which is 10 miles long, 2 miles wide but only 28 feet high! This unique sailing destination also happens to serve the best lobsters in the universe! It’s just one of the things to do on your British Virgin Island yachting vacation that will make it a trip you’ll never forget.

Selecting a yacht for your vacation will be full of options. Obviously, the larger the boat you select, the larger the staterooms that will be available to you, with catamarans usually providing the most spacious accommodations. As you might expect, the variety of yachts available for you to charter is considerable - monohulls or catamarans, sailboats or motor charters. You will be able to find something to suit every budget and need.

Deciding whether to choose a crewed charter or to go ‘bareboat’ may be one of the first steps in laying out you Tortola yacht charter. If you choose the latter, then imagine the ultimate sailing experience, with complete freedom and independence. If you’re not sure which would suit you best, the yacht companies will be glad to help you make your decision.

Charter companies will like to have some indication that you have good sailing experience and a charter history, and that the skipper of the boat is qualified. Although certifications are not always mandatory, they are useful. At least one person on the vessel should know what they’re doing!

Some yacht charter companies offer a ‘captain only’ service. Some crewed charters offer both a captain and a cook, so that no-one on the journey needs to worry about cooking or cleaning. It’s also possible to charter a fully-crewed boat, some of which even have members of the crew who are qualified scuba diving teachers - certified to at least the level of Dive Master.

Come and discover exactly why Tortola has become one of the world’s favorite sailing and yacht charter hot spots. Chartering a great yacht is the ultimate luxury of the sea; your own private cruise, with nothing to do except relax and watch the Caribbean flow by. Whatever your charter requirements, there will be companies in Tortola who will not only meet your expectations but far exceed them.