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Jun 13, 2014

Fiber Fun on Flag Day

Everyone has their fiber “thing.” 

Some folks only knit lace. Others only spin. Still others only knit lace using yarn they’ve spun themselves, preferably using wool sheared from sheep they've raised from lambhood.

That’s not me, but if that’s you, I can certainly relate. I have my own fiber fetishes, one of which is knitting small things in red, white and blue combinations. 


The motivation for this is partly practical since my stash happens to contain a great deal of red, white and blue yarn (Four Seasons, Classic Elite; 70% wool, 30% cotton; discontinued). As a result, I’ve steadily produced a number of coasters and cloths, and am building a small but growing collection. It's a harmless and completely understandable little obsession, right?


Which brings me to the point: Saturday, June 14, is Flag Day in the US.

Flag Day was established to commemorate this event: On June 14, 1777, John Adams proposed and the Second Continental Congress adopted the first Flag Resolution. It said: ““Resolved: that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.”

Flag Day is a national holiday and many Americans will mark the occasion by displaying the flag at their homes and businesses. In Pennsylvania and New York, it’s also an official state holiday. Naturally the dates are different: Pennsylvania acknowledges June 14, New York celebrates on the second Saturday in June, but through a happy accident, this year the two coincide.
From the beginning, our flag has symbolized many things, such as our strong ties to Britain and our struggle for independence. George Washington once observed, “We take the star from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty.”

I’m a bit biased, of course, but if you live in the US, I think the best way to celebrate Flag Day is to have fun with fiber.


That’s what I plan to do. What’s on your weekend agenda?


3 comments:

  1. I'm sure I learned about the origins of Flag Day when I was a kid, but have forgotten... I do remember conversations about the meaning of the elements. ;-)

    Your coasters are adorable.

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  2. Very patriotic! Of course the 4th of July isn't far behind either! Lovely and neat work, very impressive.

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  3. I love your patriotic theme! We had a bunch of festivals going on around here today...none to celebrate Flag Day though.

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