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Dig This
Friday, August 18, 2000
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Ka'eo Bradford cuts a hala leaf, using a wooden block
inset with razorblades to make uniform strips.
The French braid is a source of wonder to me. Even when I had hair long enough to make it a personal option, I lacked the confidence to figure it out. Most of my girlfriends, on the other hand, not only mastered the skill, but could French-braid their own hair. To this day, I am astounded at the thought. Hala trees useful,
easy to growI have learned not to rely too heavily on either my manual dexterity or my patience. It took some measure of bravery, then, you will keep in mind, for me to sign up for a class in lauhala weaving.
Fortunately, you are not required to learn to weave lauhala with your hands h
eld behind your head.
WEAVING CLASS
What: Xeriscape Plant Craft -- Lauhala
Equally fortunately, Ka'eo Bradford is a patient woman.
Bradford, born and raised on Kauai, lives in Waianae and teaches lauhala weaving at the Halawa Xeriscape garden. She also offers overnight classes out of her home that include fieldwork; gathering and cleaning the leaves.
Her family has been weaving lauhala for generations.
"When I first learned weaving (at the age of 7) I was only allowed to watch," she said. "Hawaiian style, nanakamaka, you watch first. You watch and you learn."
I thought that sounded like a pretty good approach, but being chronologically challenged, I wasn't allowed the luxury of just watching.
Bradford started the class with a chant welcoming the ancestors to bless our lesson. They must have been in an awfully generous mood, because even I managed to get a pretty good handle on the basics of this craft.
Of course, much of the work was done before the session started.
Bradford brought along leaves that already had been prepared for weaving.
To learn the entire process takes much longer than two hours, hence the overnight class she offers in Waianae. First the leaves must be gathered, and it is best to pick the drying leaves when they are ready to fall, said Bradford. After they have fallen, they mold quickly. And if they are picked green, which is common among families who weave a lot and cannot always find enough dry leaves, the leaves must be boiled then dried before weaving.
There are 50 species of hala, which produces both male and female trees. There are thornless and variegated varieties in addition to thorny. Leaves from different trees dry to different colors, adding variety to the woven product.
When gathering lauhala for weaving, Bradford recommends heading makai. "If you want to find the best kind of hala on the island, look toward the ocean," she said. The salt air produces the cleanest leaves.
Hala also is an easy tree to grow, according to Gregory Koob, editor of Hawai'i Horticulture magazine.
Hala likes full sun and well drained soil. It is suited to wet or dry conditions and is salt and drought tolerant.
While hala is not commonly found in stores, it is readily propagated by seeds, which are found in the fruit segments.
Find a tree you like that has ripe fruit and plant a segment of the fruit. That should yield multiple sprouts. Hala grows at a rate of about 3 feet a year when it is young, slowing when it reaches 10 feet.
Whether leaves are gathered far and wide or from your own front yard, the next step in the weaving process is cleaning, when the lauhala is rinsed and any thorns are removed. "The trimming part is the hardest, the cleaning," said Bradford. Cleaned leaves are hung to dry in a cool place by the huelu, or tail of the leaf.
Dried leaves are rolled over hand or sticks to soften. Some who weave a lot use old washing machine ringers. Also, some weavers bleach the leaves before weaving.
With all of these preparations completed before class, we were able to get right to cutting and weaving the koana, or prepared lauhala strips.
Our task was to make a bracelet.
All cutting is done from the po'o, or head of the leaf, toward the huelu. To accomplish this, Bradford had two tools fitted with multiple razorblades. In the poorer Pacific countries, sharpened tin can tops are commonly used, she said. Pins also work and cork, wood or cardboard make suitable handles.
After cutting strips the width of our intended bracelets, a second koana was cut into thinner strips for the cross weave. The entire first strip is wrapped to fit the wearer, with the last wrap being cut into thinner strips to take the weave. Then one of the smaller segments from the second strip is woven into the bracelet. It's a simple enough procedure that even I managed to achieve a glow of self-satisfaction. I'm planning to tackle a hat band next.
Hala leaves, like any vegetable matter, breathe and will dry out, so it's best not to weave in the heat of the day, said Bradford. Evening is better because there is more moisture in the air. Leaves can also be softened by spraying with water while they are worked.
The traditional uses of the hala tree extend far beyond weaving bracelets or hat bands.
The flower was used as an aphrodisiac and a laxative. The aerial roots and fruit segments were used to make paintbrushes. The trunk was used to make calabashes, troughs and pounding boards.
"Just like the coconut tree, everything from the leaves to the roots was used," said Bradford.
Gardening Calendar in Do It Electric!
Stephanie Kendrick's gardening column runs Fridays in Today.
You can write her at the Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802
or email skendrick@starbulletin.com
