Knitting without knitting is also known as weaving. It is the oldest way of creating fabric and it is one of the easiest projects to do with children. I remember having a little weaving machine when I was a child and how much I enjoyed knitting without knitting! For little fingers of a 4 year old knitting with needles can be challenging. But weaving is great to start with as it also helps with hand-eye coordination. Though it might seem more dull compare to knitting or crocheting, once mastered it is possible to learn how to create interesting patterns using different colour threads.

Since we don’t have anything around here even remotely resembling a weaving machine, I made my own cardboard loom. I got the  inspiration from Mama Smiles Blog and from CraftStylish website.

I made my own cardboard loom and instead of a needle I used the handle of a plastic spoon in which I made a hole. That was our first try and the idea was to teach my daughter the principle of weaving. She really enjoyed pulling the thread through the strings and kept narrating to herself: “First over, then under, then over, then under…”

Weaving requires patience from both parents and children. In a process the child can get frustrated or overwhelmed. Pause or stop the activity. Offer to help and guide the child through it.

Few tips on introducing weaving:

1. For younger children, start with paper weaving and introduce just 2-4 strings.

2. Thicker yarn works best.

3. This is a supervised activity for toddlers and preschoolers, especially when done with needles.

4. Start with thick plastic needles that won’t hurt your child or can’t be easily lost.

Enjoy this wonderful activity and let me know how it came out for you!