Friday, November 22, 2013

Rainbow Addiction!

OK, I've gotten addicted to playing with the Rainbow Loom. But the average sized bracelet this thing creates is 1/2 the standard adult bracelet length. It's all of 4", when an adult bracelet is 8". The solution? Get a second loom, hook the things together and make an 8" bracelet instead.Gradually, I'm getting my co-workers addicted to these silly things as well.

A word to the wise. I first got a knock-off loom. You can't hook it together with a real Rainbow Loom and it doesn't hook solidly to other knock-off looms. The hook isn't as nice and the pegs are not as well shaped. Don't settle for a fake.

Have I noticed a difference in the latex-free rubber bands between the real and the knock-offs?  The knock-offs require that you purchase 'S' clips separately. The original Rainbow Loom bands include 'C' clips with each bag of bands. No additional purchase necessary.  FWIW, no craft store accepts coupons for the loom or the bands, whether knock-off or the real thing.

The basic bracelet that can be made with the Rainbow loom is kinda wimpy. It is a single chain. Doesn't look like much. But a popular bracelet is called a Fishtail. Still, not so much. The Double Fishtail is pretty neat, though. I started there.

Since that first Fishtail, I've made Double Cross, Hexafish, Ladder, and the Starburst. There are more than a few websites that have links to YouTube videos that teach you how to use the Rainbow Loom, including the Rainbow Loom website itself.

As an unrelated topic, I'm amazed at how little research parents are doing to learn how to help their kids work with this contraption. And it isn't difficult research, either. You watch the video, you follow along. Duh!