Friendship bracelet
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Friendship bracelets are special bracelets given from one friend to another as a symbol of friendship. They are handmade and usually made out of embroidery thread. There are various styles and patterns, but most are based on the same knot. The making of friendship bracelets is a version of handweaving. The patterns have vivid names such as candystripe, chinese staircase or swirly, totem pole, and chevron. The names vary slightly from place to place, but overall they are fairly similar.
The amount of thread used in bracelets can vary. The smallest pattern, a double chain knot, requires two strings. The candystripe can have as few as three strings and as many as forty, based on pattern and thickness. Because of their versitility, they are worn by both males and females of all ages.
The knot-craft and handweaving used to create traditional patterns stems from Native American handcrafts. By tradition, when you receive a friendship bracelet, you must wear it until the band falls off naturally. The idea is that your friend paid for it with the hard work and love that made it, and you paid them back by honoring it. If you remove the bracelet before it naturally falls off, it is a sign that the friendship has gone sour. Another variation off this tradition is that when you recieve a bracelet, you are entitled to a wish. When the bracelet falls off naturally, the wish will come true.
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