punto a groppo

Refers to a type of work made of thread or cord that is knotted, twisted, or tied. It developed in the Mediterranean area, probably from fish net. It flourished in 16th-century Italy, where decorative fringes were created by knotting, twisting, and tying without weights or bobbins. Early patterns were geometric, sometimes interspersed with schematic figures. It is thought that bobbin, or pillow, lace developed from this process when the threads came to be attached with lead weights and the design anchored on a pad, or pillow.