Weaving Friendships

One of my unexpected delights in blogging is meeting other bloggers and having the opportunity to weave a face to face friendship as well as a cyberspace one!  Friday I met Betsy who is from Spokane, Washington, while she is in the area visiting her daughter who just had a baby.  We had lunch in Sandy, OR, then visited Jonsrud Viewpoint overlooking the Sandy River valley and majestic Mt. Hood.  We imagined what it might have been like to have been a pioneer in a covered wagon.  We agreed that while we enjoy reading about that period of history we are grateful we do not have to face the same sort of challenges the pioneers faced.  While we visited at lunch I told Betsy about one of my favorite parts of the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival I attended several weeks ago.  The generous participants at one station we visited at the festival handed out simple free supplies and quick verbal instructions for how to make friendship bracelets.  I thought they were brilliant to offer a craft that could immediately involve and reward visitors in a fiber-forming-friendship-promoting activity.  Just before meeting Betsy I had the last minute idea of starting a friendship bracelet for her and offer you the following tutorial for one pattern you can use to make a bracelet, or necklace or....

If you have never tried to make a friendship bracelet before, you might want to try now.  Simply trace an octagonal shape on thick paper or cardboard.  Make a circular hole in the middle of the octagon. Make 8 slits, one in the middle of each outer section of the octagon.  Measure one strand of yarn about 15 inches long. Then measure 3 strands of yarn 30 inches long. Fold each of the 30 inch pieces of yarn in half.  Thread the looped ends and the single strand of yarn through the center hole in the octagon. Tie a knot.  Flip the octagon over and thread the seven strands of yarn, one into each outer slit.

Face the empty slot toward you.  Count up 3 strands on the right from the empty slot.  Lift the upper third strand of yarn over the 2 lower right strands and insert it in the empty slot.  Turn the octagon in a clockwise direction until there is an empty slot facing toward you again.  Repeat the pattern giving a gentle tug to the knotted braid forming below the octagon until your bracelet is the desired length. The loose ends of the bracelet can then be threaded through the loops and tied off at the desired length.

King Solomon is said to have written, "Though one may be overpowered by another,  two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."[Eccl. 4:12 NKJV] This friendship bracelet has more than three stands to form it's cord. I like the idea that it represents a coming together that has power and presence.  One can choose one or many colors to enhance its beauty.  I like it as a symbol for weaving loving friendships.  

Have you made and gifted someone with a friendship bracelet?          xxx from Gracie