Threads 38: New Year

Many, many years ago I visited a friend of a friend's little house on Vancouver Island overlooking the Pacific ocean. She was a basket maker, and everywhere in her house and garden there were baskets. Baskets on the shelves for holding things, hanging on the walls for utensils,on the floor for magazines and wastepaper. Baskets on the porch and in the house for hanging flower pots. In the shed, gathering baskets, and even a bird feeder!

I don't remember her name but what a great impression.

As a result, I am going to write Threads as a New Year resolution called 'Ideas for living with baskets'. In this first Threads with this theme, I will describe how to make a spoon or utensil basket.

A SPOON OR UTENSIL BASKET

This basket is made with fine willow, and can also easily be adapted for using round reed. I suggest #4 for stakes and either #2 or #3 for the weavers.

The spoon basket in the attached photo has finished dimensions of 8” high and 4” diameter.

Start by selecting four willows 3-4ft long, or four #4 round reed about 3 ft long. You will need one shorter stake to add later.

Position the centre of one pair of stakes over the other ( or split the centre of one pair, and push through the other pair ).

Bend a fine willows or #3 or 2 reed in half and start pairing around . Weave the base in groups of 2 , then singly for a diameter of 4".  Add the extra stake.

TO WEAVE UP THE SIDES

Soak the base and then turn up the stakes to a right angle using a pair of pliers or your thumb nail to help the bend. Tie up the stakes.

Continue pairing up the sides, including the extra stake, for an inch or so.

At this point, you can do a different weave or use contrasting material or even leave a space Try to keep the sides vertical and even.

TO WEAVE THE BORDER AND MAKE A HANDLE

Wet the stakes. In preparation, gently bend each stake down before starting.

Take the first stake and take it behind the next one in front of the next one behind the next one. Repeat all the way around and fit in the last two stakes to match the weave. Trim all the ends on the inside.

Finally, take another stake, sharpen the end, and insert it beside a stake,bend it down gently, then take it across two stakes and slide it under the border, wrap it around the handle , under the border and wrap it back to the other side. Trim the end and tuck it down beside a stake. Now find a place in your kitchen to hang your spoons or utensils. 

Happy new year to everybody, and may your house be full of baskets.