Threads 85: Baskets to use around the house

The Spoon Basket

This basket hangs close to my stove in the kitchen. I use it constantly for the wooden spoon and other big spoons. It can be made with round feed or as in this case fine willow.  Starting with a 2/2 base, and  2 fine weavers, quickly turn up the basket and make it as wide around as you would like.

The garlic basket (and the "Burkina Weave")

This garlic basket was given to me by Lene Rasmussen. She has kindly sent me a description  and  the story behind the basket: ”It is a spiral weave and this particular type of weave is now widely known as the "Burkina Weave".”

I learned  "Burkina Weave" from Eva Seidenfaden. My friend Eva Seidenfaden, a long time World renowned Danish artist and basket maker, was working on a project in Burkina Faso, Africa. Local people made beautiful baskets with straw using this technique. She applied it to willow and has since taught it to many people in different countries. She named it Burkina Weave and today that is what everyone in the basketry community calls it.

If you google "Burkina Weave or Burkina Faso Weave" you will find many photos of different beautiful designs using this technique. Danish willow artist And Lyngsgaard has developed an app that is available both in Danish and English. The English version is called Baskets2day and is available in the App Store and Google Play Store. In this app teaches (via video) different baskets and techniques and she has started videos with other weavers as well. Eva is teaching the Burkina Weave in this app. I warmly recommend this app to anyone interested in willow basketry.

There are many ancient spiral weaves found in different parts of the World and as far as I know, they are all slightly different.

The hanging glove basket

 This indigenous black ash basket came from Nova Scotia. The strong handle is firmly incorporated into the woven basket. This is a perfect place to keep your gloves by the back door!