Monday, October 22, 2012

friendship bracelets ❤ love & links ❤

Isn't it funny how hands have their own memories. How hands can remember the way to do something that the head has completely forgotten.

Do you know what I mean?

This happened a few years ago when I picked up the knitting needles for the first time since school and my hands remembered how to do a basic stitch.

And a few days ago, after a twenty year break, my hands remembered the way to tie the knots to make friendship bracelets. It all felt so familiar and so comfortable, like I had only made a knotted band a few days before.

And as my hands did their thing and knotted the strings, they brought back feelings and memories from the last time they did those same actions. The knotting brought back memories of a toiletry bag filled with rolls of coloured cottons, of safety pins stuck through the hem of my jeans for tension, of sitting around with friends gossiping and knotting, of swapping bracelets with friends and boyfriends, of intricate patterns, of wearing one bracelet even though it gave me a rash underneath, of not taking them off until they fell off and of gorgeous collections up and down my arms and ankles.

Twenty years later and my girls are now loving the old friendship bracelets. Every time I look at them they seem to have accumulated more. As the days get warmer, their sleeves get shorter and the amount of stuff tied around their wrists get thicker.

I think they look gorgeous. I love their individual collections. I love that their fad takes me back to such a happy time in my life. And I love a handmade trend. It's like a crafty opportunity and that is pretty ace in my books.



I had planned to write my own tutorial for the basic knots and patterns you need to make a friendship bracelet, but after doing a quick google search I found some great ones. Clear and easy to follow.

Here's my friendship bracelet linky list;

Friendship bracelets.net - The basic knot.
The Purl Bee - Chevron stitch (same as above).
Friendship bracelets.net - Wave stitch (same as below).
Friendship bracelets.net - Braid stitch.
Friendship bracelets.net - Alphabet.
The Purl Bee - Valentine stitch.


You can buy rolls of cotton or embroidery floss from craft shops and wool shops.

On a shopping trip to Bendigo recently we found a whole heap of odds and ends of cotton in the back room of the Bendigo Woollen Mills. You might be lucky and find some in op/thrift shops too.


And while you've got your cotton and knots happening you might want to make want to make your head phones cozy and tangle free, deets here.

Every time I think I might make one for me or my farmer boy, I get another request from my girls. I think it's high time I teach them how to make their own. I think we might drag a blanket outside this afternoon and have a lesson. I can't think of anything nicer.

Oh and while we are talking about knotting, the winners of the Ebooks are;
Michelle Symes - who chose the 24/7 book.
Leah - who also chose the 24/7 book.
Yay!!
Email me with your email details girls and we'll get those Ebooks to you asap.


So how about you?
Do your hands sometimes surprise you with their own memory?
Did you make friendship bracelets as a kid?
Do they bring back happy memories?
Are you going to make some now?
I hope so.

Happy knotting!

Bye! x

36 comments:

  1. Boy, do those piles of floss and safety pins bring back memories!! They look awesome on your girls. I feel a knotting urge coming on - thanks for the links!

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  2. These are so pretty! I'll have to check out the tutorials.
    I purchase yarn from Bendigo Woollen mills sometimes, except I have to order over the internet!
    Take care, Sarah xxo

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  3. My daughter Isabelle had her friendship bracelet finally fall off from around her ankle after wearing it for about 12 mths, so maybe I need to look at those tutorials and teach her how to make her own. I do remember making daisy chains with the flowers whilst at school and home, but I dont think I ever made the bracelets!

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  4. Very good memories of making friendship bracelets - and that was way over in Pakistan! Love it!

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  5. Friendship bracelets are in the latest edition of Molly Makes magazine. I have never made them but might whip some up to go in the grandies christmas bag.

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  6. Oh yeah! I'd totally forgotten about friendship bracelets. And friendship pins, remember them? My goal was to get a watch band covered in those little gems.

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  7. I remember my niece having friendship bracelets way before my daughter was born. Maybe I should have a go at a tutorial before I get a request!! They do look lovely and sitting outside for a lesson sounds great, count me in. Sarah

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  8. Never done friendship bracelets, never!!! But I did a lot with the telephone wires, with beads on loom shoes boxes (!!!) and fabric!!!
    xxx Alessandra

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  9. We are loving friendship bands at the moment too. We are learning lots of different types, even easier methods that the little ones can do too.

    Our school Kinma, has a "Friendship Seed Project" where we are trying to make the longest friendship band in the world and "hope to spread the friendship seed around the world". The kids believe that "people who are friends care for each other. The more friends there are, the more people are caring for one another." You can check how you can contribute to the project and the longest friendship band in the world by going to:
    http://www.kinma.nsw.edu.au/friendshipseed/index.html

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  10. So many memories, although I don't remember going beyond the ones with plain stripes. Goose has shown a bit of interest in them lately too (age 8) and is slowly working on one around the end post of her bed. I totally used to pin them to my jeans like you did.

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  11. Recently a 14 year old client gave me one. She had written Kia Kaha ( Stay strong).

    So beautiful and now I'm going to follow your links and try to make some for my grandchildren.

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  12. My hands are my favourite thing without their internal memory for making I'd be lost, yeah for hands and friendship bracelets!

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  13. love them Kate- Chloe and I both love knotting, and Im busting to have a go at the wave desighn- thanks for the links..!

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  14. They definitely bring back memories!

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  15. yes I know what you mean, i find the memory of the hands quite amazing xo

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  16. I used to make these all the time, loved sitting there with sticky tape on my knee knotting away. When Miss 13 had her birthday I used this as one of the activities for the girls to do, they loved having a go. Love those ear phones, I really want to give them a go:) x

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  17. I found myself reacquainting myself with the fine art of friendship bracelet making over the last school holidays. Funny how these things resurface. Both my 8 year and 6 year old have keenly had a go at making their own, with varying success ;) The orders have been flowing pretty thick and fast from school mates though so i' m sure they'll be experts in no time!

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  18. i used to LOVE making friendship bracelets...they were the ultimate sign of affection at summer camp. it's been years since i've done any...you've got me thinking :)

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  19. My son and daughter spent a large part of their school holidays making friendship bracelets from this tutorial - nothing to fancy to them though, but very easy. The trick is to not make too large a hole in the cardboard template.

    http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/make-a-friendship-bracelet.html

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  20. LOVE the idea of the Friendship Bracelet, and the making of them. Knots are fun, coloured floss is fun. And hey, they work up quick, which is also a huge thing when you're 8. None of my friends, however, were into it, when I was younger, so I made a few and gave up - nobody to swap with makes it boring far too quick! Glad your girls are catching on, you should definitely teach them how! It's an important thing to know!

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  21. Love those earphones cover! Just fabulous :) Kx

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  22. I love friendship bracelets! I started making some earphones cover last night,after reading your post. As soon as I put the pin in my leggings, I was away. It made me think of christmas holidays, hanging out on the grass, making them as presents. It was just like riding a bike. I didnt even need to look at mr google.
    Yay for friendship bracelets-and yay for summer coming soon!

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  23. yes yes and yes!! oh do those take me back. fantastic post, thank you for the links.
    the kids look so cute, you need some too! i do know what you mean about the memory of our hands. i love when that happens. i hope i can remember how to do this knotting!

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  24. It makes me feel a little bit old to say, I used to love these when I was a kid!

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  25. i love friendship bracelets.... brings back times like you've mentioned. balmy nthn nsw summers, laying in the shade under a tree, making daisy chains and friendship bracelets... why didn't i realise i had it sooo good?

    my email for the ebook prize is : leahdeighton (at) gmail.com
    yay!
    thanks kate xx

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  26. I still have some friendship bands that are half-made, all the way from high school! I used to make them all the time, my kids aren't quite into them, but whenever I open the tin that my old ones are in I get those awesome memories of pals and busy hands.

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  27. I completely forgot them but I find your pictures very inspiring, I should get back to it!

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  28. Yes, Yes and Yes. I've been thinking that they would make a great little gift for Amelia to give to her little friends. (even a great school holiday activity with a few little friends)
    I used to pin them to my socks or the end of my shorts.

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  29. I borrowed your pic of the headphones for my blog this Sunday - I'm going to do it over the break with my new ones! If this isn't cool, please let me know. I'm linking to you xo

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  31. Having these bands is a great way to cherish friendships. Thanks a lot for providing this tutorial and for inspiring readers to make their own bracelet.

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