I saw another crafter post in my Wild Basketry group about making twined bracelets and wearing them as a durability test. Yes, please, and thank you Marijke!

Twining has become my go-to fidget when I’m waiting or wandering. The brown bracelet on my wrist is daylily leaf gathered from the ground where they were dead and dried, but still pliable. The green bracelet is dried and rehydrated leaf strips from corn that I gathered on a countryside road. The white bracelet was twined out of the paper packaging on restaurant straws while waiting for lunch.

To connect the bracelet, I untwist the start, which is a loop, and slide it over the end knot. The twist in the twine keeps the loop locked behind the knot. I have been wearing the bracelets at all times, so unsurprisingly the paper bracelet did not survive the shower test. The paper soaked up the water and separated at the weakest point: the untwisted loop.

The daylily leaves have shrunk some, leaving gaps in the twine. Since I gathered them when they weren’t completely dry, the separation is expected. When crafting with plant fiber, most crafters recommend letting the material dry completely, then rewet, but not soak, the material to make it pliable. This method reduces shrinkage in the finished product.

The corn leaf was completely dry, and I did gently rehydrate by wrapping it in a wet towel. The twine has held together without gaps.

Now we wait, and maybe add some more.