Best friends Lisa Marchand and Nikki McArthur want to have the coolest flip-flops around this summer.
So on Friday afternoon they went to the downtown Fargo library, where they learned how to crochet funky yarn onto the straps of their sandals.
"I think it's going to look awesome," said Marchand, 11, as she practiced crocheting a chain out of yellow yarn before using colorful, Muppet-like yarn on the sandals.
The girls were among 18 people who brought their choice of flip-flops, and the library provided the rest.
The event was part of the library's effort to teach kids and teens fun skills they can do on their own, while getting them into the library, said Jake Fejedelem, Fargo's teen librarian.
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Participants, including a few adults, took a practice run with regular yarn before starting to crochet colorful yarn around the straps of their flip-flops.
The library competes with so many other youth activities that it takes novel approaches like funky flip-flops to draw teens in, he said.
Last fall, the library provided a program of duct-tape crafts, followed by an advanced course this spring.
"I'm on the forefront of wacky," Fejedelem said.
On Friday, library staff members wore finished furry flip-flips as they walked around the circle of participants and taught them the basics.
"They're actually showing step by step, which I think is a good way to learn, said Mary Wateland.
The 59-year-old knows how to knit but could never get the knack of crocheting, so she brought her 10-year-old granddaughter to the library's event and joined the excitement.
"When you can do things together, it's more fun," Wateland said.
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Other teen events at the library this summer include an event modeled after Fear Factor on Thursday, a teen chess tournament on Aug. 6 and a teen band music festival on Aug 10.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Andrea Domaskin at (701) 241-5556
