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Today I would like to share a very special present that I made for Huxley at the beginning of the year. For Christmas 08, I had made him a knitted horse with a knights armor in wool and felt. It was on his wish list and came together late one night last year. 

Early February 09 I went on a train to travel to Kingston to do jurying for the Organization of Kingston Women Artists and while on the trip there I finally finished the knight to go with it. 

Here he is riding the dragon-lamp in my room at the hotel in Kingston (how perfect is that and how lucky for our little knight)

Back at home I fashioned him a quiver, a dogwood bow and arrows.

He has blue eyes just like Huxley.

Sir Knight is constructed from a pre-made doll armature from Switzerland. I then fashioned a bound head in the waldorf doll tradition and sewed arm-skins and a body for him. The legs are wrapped in some wool and then he wears his velvet pants overtop. The tunic, undershirt and hat is made from wool felt and stitched with silk thread. 

The horse is knitted from a pattern in Toymaking with Children by Freya Jaffke an essential book to rasing my little one. I wish I had had it years ago, before I let any other toy into our home. For the horses armour cloth, I made a paper pattern and then cut and sculpted more after it was placed on the horse. It then got embroidered and embellished.

For christmas this year I plan on making Huxley a King and a Queen and maybe a couple more knights. A wooden play castle would be fabulous too, but I think we would need to purchase a scroll saw, and we just don't have the space for a wood shop in our home.  

It is a constant challenge living in a large city like Toronto and trying to only let natural toys into the house. One of my husband's clients is a major Canadian retailer and we receive the large Christmas catalogue already in summer. Huxley found it this year and has taken to pouring over it with glee and a constant "Mommy, how old do I have to be for this? Mommy, I want a toy that looks real like this and is made from plastic!" (that one just about broke my heart). It is so challenging to know exactly what to say, because to be frank, it isn't a child's concern why certain toys are better for him/her than others. I'm at loss sometime of what to say, and scientific answers have slipped out more than I would like to admit. Of course, his wanting something does not mean that I will buy it, yet I can't fully disregard his desires either.

When I see blogs of waldorf families that live in rural areas, and I envy the seeming ease in keeping their little ones innocent. But we are not living there, and considering our life, we are living a fusion-waldorf lifestyle. A challenge, but this is who we are. 

What is your approach to a child's wish for "real looking, plastic toys?"