repost November 7 2010
A friend in Toronto who has grandkids older than mine and who keeps me up to date with kids stuff was telling me about this craze sweeping the schoolyards called Silly Bandz. Elastic bands in the shapes of animals. Kids wear them on their wrists and collect and trade them.
I was then reminded about some elastic bands in the shapes of animals that had been an impulse purchase in a nifty Japanese import store in Baldwin Village on my last visit to Toronto in the spring. It was not mentioned that they were to be worn on the wrist and that they were sort of the present day version of pet rocks.
When I got them home they had looked ….. interesting (as things you buy on trips can appear once out of the luggage) ….. and then they got put away in a drawer where I forgot about them. After the silly bandz alert I searched them out and found they would easily slip onto my wrist; the caution on the package warned against overstretching so I did not think this was possible.
They look …. interesting. I googled for more information and history. Fascinating! No store in Victoria seems to be carrying them so maybe I am, inadvertently and coincidentally, the first to - uh, give them wrist space. I found out from the Net that they come in Barbie shapes and Justin Bieber and animals etc.
Wonder what shapes would appeal to people my age of the Boomer sort. Mid century modern furniture? Vintage cars? Flowers? Birds? Spinning wheels? Cruise ships? Comfy shoes? Healthy vegetables and fruits? The Beatles? Bob Dylan? Elizabeth Zimmerman? My grandkiddies profiles?
As I was posting this I looked at them on my wrist and wondered if they would survive the journey up and over my fist.
They did! Well, that is good to know in case they do come up with shapes my knitting friends and I may want to …… seriously …… collect and wear and trade.