Natural Weaving

A useful activity for practising square lashing. For more on square lashing, see this post.

1. Make a small frame by square lashing 4 sticks together, each about 25-30cm long to make a rectangular or square frame.

2. Cut notches along the top and bottom of frame to hold string in place.

3. Thread frame with string.

4. Weave natural materials – grasses, thin flexible twigs, chinks of twisted sheep’s wool through the string. Once it has some substance tie in other natural materials – seeds, cones etc.

5. You can also use it to make natural picture frames in step 1. Each child can then create their own miniature landscape painting by framing mosses on the ground, textured bark, a view of the sky through branches etc.

Knots

Stages in square lashing – invaluable for shelter building and making camp equipment

1.  Begin with a clove hitch and then lash the string alternately above and below both sticks.

2. Frapping to tighten the lashing. After 3-4 circuits make a full turn around one stick and circuit the string a couple of times between the two sticks going above different sticks from stage 1.

3. Finnish off with a round turn and a clove hitch.

To extend or practice this, see this post on natural weaving.