Friendship bracelets
My foster daughter was given a friendship bracelet making kit for Christmas. I remember thinking it was a silly thing to sell as a kit. I mean, all you need is a bit of embroidery floss and a safety pin, right? But she seemed happy about the gift, so I wasn’t about to tell her what a silly thing it was.*
Fast forward to last night, and I found her in her room attempting to use the kit for the first time, and hating it. She decided, on her own, that the kit was worthless. Instead, she decided that she would just braid the floss together. Of course, braiding wouldn’t have the same look as a friendship bracelet from the kit with the fancy “weaving wheel”. But she decided that something was better than nothing.
Seeing her disappointment, I quickly rounded up the floss that came with the kit, grabbed a pair of scissors and a safety pin, and sat her down next to me on the couch for a quick lesson in friendship bracelets.
I was very pleased with myself because after not having made a friendship bracelet in 20+ years, I actually remembered how! And I must have been an OK instructor because the kid picked it up immediately and has already made two bracelets since last night. She is practising with different patterns and types of knots and should have the skill mastered by the end of the weekend. She even managed to take my left-handed instructions and reverse them for using her non-left (wrong?) hand.
Me? I attempted at one this evening and realised two things before giving up: (1) I have too many other projects going at the moment to get wrapped up in a new one and (2) I don’t know if my friends would wear one if I gave them one anyhow. (But after my afghans are done, I think I might make some bracelets for my friends anyhow. I bet they’d smile if I gave them one, even if it never got worn.)
[The top photo is my foster daughter working on her third bracelet. The in-story photo is what I did before giving up for the night in favour of blogging and crocheting.]
* In all fairness, it was a very nice, very kind gift from a community programme that gives gifts to foster children. It’s just that I grew up making bracelets by hand and sort of thought that a kit that does the weaving for you is cheating. But maybe hand-knotting bracelets is one of those traditions that doesn’t get passed from one generation to the next?
I think it’s fantastic both that you remember how to make them yourself and that you’ve passed your skills on to the next generation. Your foster daughter is lucky to have someone like you that’s willing to take the time to help her learn stuff like that.
And I’d wear a friendship bracelet – hint, hint!
xx
I would wear one too. Just so you know:)
Did you know that she was working on one of those bracelets when the gang was all at your place for Burns’ Night Supper? She showed it to me and actually tried to put it around my wrist…of course, it was way too short for anyone at that point. I look forward to seeing one of the finished product. I’m sure recipients of bracelets from either of you would appreciate them.
Oh, I’m sure that all three of you would be on my list of people to make them for – if I can get my other projects caught up so that I can knot away!!