Patriotic yarn bracelet commemorates Sept. 11

By Kathy Antoniotti
Knight Ridder News Service

Today marks the second anniversary of the attack on the United States by terrorists. Peace remains our ultimate goal, though we are living in a time of turmoil and war.

To gain worldwide peace, it is necessary to remember the similarities we share with other peoples of the world rather than dwelling on our differences.

To commemorate the events of Sept. 11, children can weave bracelets using an ancient craft that almost all countries share. Before machines were invented to make cloth, people made looms to help them weave fiber for clothing and other useful things. A loom can be made with lots of different items, including straws. If you use red, white and blue yarn in your design, your bracelet will have a patriotic theme and be a reminder of the heroes of Sept. 11, 2001.

Make your own red, white, blue bracelet

You will need 2 plastic soda straws (cut to about five inches), yarn, tape, a ruler, scissors and a large embroidery needle; small patriotic symbols optional.

Lay the straws side by side and matched evenly at the top. Tape them together at one end.

Tie a knot with the yarn on one straw, just below the tape. Weave the yarn over that straw and under the other. Continue in a figure "8" motion until you near the end of the straws. Cut the yarn from the skein and tie and knot the yarn onto the last straw.

Remove the tape from the top of your "loom."

Thread or warp the loom by inserting a 12-inch piece of yarn through each straw using a large needle. Tie the pieces in a knot at the top of the loom.

Hold the two pieces of warp yarn firmly at the bottom of the loom and gently move the woven yarn up, pulling the straws out the bottom.

Adjust the spacing of the weave to the desired length by working it down the warp yarn. Tie the warp pieces into a knot at the bottom.

Leave enough warp yarn so the bracelet fits over your hand. Tie and trim the excess yarn.

Glue a flag or other patriotic symbol on the front of the bracelet.

If you want to make a tri-colored bracelet, cut the yarn and tie the new color on as you weave. Remember to make the knot on the same side of the loom each time so you can hide the knot on the inside of the bracelet. Add a drop of glue to the knot to hold in place, if necessary.

Directions for this craft were found online at The Imagination Factory at kid-at-art.com and modified for readers' use.