Just For Kids
AUTUMN WEAVES
by Lucretia Voigt
As a child, one of my favorite activities was weaving potholders on metal looms. I'm sure all of you that are anywhere near my age remember them. I would work for hours, stretching those cotton ovals over the loom, deciding on my color scheme, weaving the pattern. My parents, with wisdom that I can only now appreciate as I have had my own children, suggested I share the wealth of my talents and give my creations as gifts to my many aunts, uncles, grandparents and neighbors. I got to feel magnanimous, and my parents got to rid themselves of a plethora of potholders that could only end up overstuffing the potholder drawer. How many potholders do you really need?

Weaving is not only fun but also an educational and developmental tool. Kids exercise their fine motor skills by working the cloth and using different textures is a tactile experience that will increase a child's sensory motor development. They also learn basic colors, the complementary aspects of color, and patterns.

Autumn is a wonderful time to begin a simple weaving project with your child. You can begin by making long narrow strips of rag fabric. Use stained clothes that were on their way to the take it or leave it, or interesting fabrics that you bought to make something out of, but never got around to it.

Holbrook Voigt weaves a masterpiece. PHOTO BY LUCRETIA VOIGT

Agood place to find some supplies is right here courtesy of Mother Nature. Take a picnic to Sanford Farm. If your child is a toddler, a rugged stroller or a wagon makes the trip more enjoyable for both of you. Otherwise you will end up picnicking a few feet from the turnstile!

Plan an easy menu that your toddler can help prepare. Pasta salad with peas and carrots makes a nice entrée and can be served at room temperature. Also, it's one of those "one bowl wonder" meals, with the carbohydrates, protein (if you add some cheese or a little milk-based dressing), fat and vegetables included in one recipe. You can raise the "healthy bar" a little by using organic whole wheat or brown rice pasta. For dessert, think of fruits that can be eaten as nature serves them. Apples are in season, and they travel well. Blackberries and blueberries are toddler favorites because they are easy to pick up and fit nicely into the mouth.

An enjoyable Sanford Farm walk with toddlers is to the barn and back. You can point out some differences, like the pond and the wild flowers, as well as the scrub oaks versus the pitch pines. The pitch pine grove will be on your left before the barn and is a great place to lay down a blanket and picnic on your way back from the barn.

While you are walking, have your child look for supplies to use in his weaving. He will need two sticks, approximately the same size and length. Don't worry about getting straight sticks - the curves can add some interesting lines to the piece. Any feathers you come across, or interesting weeds can be woven into the finished product. Don't pick anything that is growing, however - just use things that have already fallen to the ground. We also used corn husks in our tapestry; however, make sure you dry them until they are moisture-free but pliable before weaving them in.

Once you get home, have your child lay the sticks down on a flat surface. One stick will be the top of the tapestry, the other will be the bottom. Decide the length you want your tapestry to be, double it, and cut 12 to 18 strings of this length to be attached to the top and the bottom sticks to join them. You can use any string, twine, or yarn. We used a brown fuzzy yarn. Remember, the more tactile the better.

Now, unless your child is the recipient of the sailing genes in your family and has been able to tie sailor-worthy knots since birth, this next part is all you. Plan on doing it while your toddler is sleeping (go ahead and laugh - they do have to sleep sometime, don't they?). Tie one end of the string to the top branch, bring it around and make a simple knot over the bottom branch, then return the string to the top branch for its final knot. I know this sounds complicated, but it's really not. Don't worry about having the yarns evenly spaced because the beauty of this craft is that the messier it is, the better it is!

Let your child decide the pattern of the tapestry. Depending on his age, you will need to help him weave the fabric in between the yarn. Your child can make the tapestry as intricate and tightly woven as he wants, or it can be very simple and loose. When the tapestry is finished, not only will you have something to remind you of the beauty of autumn on Nantucket, but you will also have introduced your child to the fun of weaving.

I still like weaving and have even taken a hankering to knitting. My husband and children have borrowed a page from my parent's playbook, however, and are more than happy to suggest worthy recipients of my creative endeavors. Hmmm -

there seems to be a trend here! I