A knitter can’t live without baskets. At least, that’s what I think. There are baskets dotted all around our house, filled with knitting projects, yarn, unspun wool, more yarn and more knitting projects. Some of these baskets were made by Jannie, a basket weaver I often run into at fairs, markets and sheep shearing festivals. This summer I discovered that she doesn’t only make baskets, but also teaches others how to make them, and I entered my name for a workshop.
I asked a friend (who also knits and spins) if she’d like to join me. She said, ‘I’d love to!’, and together we set off early last Saturday.
As soon as we arrived, we were surrounded by baskets. Baskets hanging under the stairs.
And baskets stacked high on shelves.
There were small, fairly simple looking baskets.
And bigger, very complicated looking baskets. (The picture at the top of this post is a close-up of the basket below).
Something like this would be way too difficult for a first effort, of course. What we were going to make, was a round, medium-sized basket with handles. And this is the material we were going to use:
Willow shoots, or osiers. These were sorted by thickness and length and pre-soaked for about 10 days.
We started by slitting three thick pieces of osier in the middle and threading three others through them. With a thinner shoot we started weaving the base.
We continued weaving, while separating the spokes, until it was a reasonable size.
Then we cut off the starter shoots, stuck 24 new long shoots into the base, and added a few rows in a different ‘stitch’ as I would call it as a knitter. I have no idea of basket weaving terminology, but I looked it up, and I think the last few rows in the photo below are called a ‘randing’. They make for a firm base.
Now it was time to bend the shoots upwards. They were tied together near the top, to keep them out of the way and pointing in the right direction. The 3 shoots you can see sticking out on the floor, are the ones we were going to continue weaving with.
We were sat on low wooden benches, with a sloping wooden work surface attached to them. At this stage, a heavy weight was placed inside the basket in progress, to keep it from sliding down the work surface.
Phew, basket weaving is hard work! In need of a short break, I stepped outside. It was a lovely, sunny morning, and the garden around the basket weaving shed was idyllic.
Even outside there were basket-like decorations and structures everywhere, overgrown with plants.
The chickens (and a guinea fowl) were making soft, clucking noises. There were literally heaps of courgettes and tomatoes on the patio, and there were some gorgeous dahlias in bloom.
The same week I went basket weaving, I won a knitting pattern on Ravelry. Although ‘won’ isn’t the right word for it, perhaps. All I did was chat with other knitters about the things we were making and post some pictures. But still, my name was drawn and I received a digital pattern for a big, cosy wrap in a basketweave pattern.
Wasn’t that a nice coincidence? I’m really tempted to cast on straightaway, but I already have so many other plans for the coming months. I think I’ll keep it till later.
Well, after this short break I’m ready to get back inside. Are you coming?
It’s already starting to look like a real basket.
Our example was placed in the middle of the room for inspiration.
Using champagne corks we made even spaces for the handles.
After braiding a sturdy rim and snipping off all the ends sticking out, our baskets were finished. And here they are – tadaah!
And here’s mine at home, filled with some undyed Shetland roving. I’m so proud of my very first, slightly lopsided willow basket.
My friend and I made our baskets at Vlechterij Vinkenslag. Jannie is a very knowledgeable, friendly and patient teacher. Apart from teaching basket weaving, she sells her beautiful baskets, bird feeders and decorative ornaments at crafts markets and fairs.
Each year Martha Arterburn, County Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development, and I put our thinking caps on and “design” a basket for a 4-H Basket Workshop here in Allen County, Kentucky. This year Martha was gifted with several boxes of reed from two generous local basket weavers and those sizes of material and donated handles were our inspiration.
That sounds like a great project to make with young people.
Oh wat een mooie mand heb je gemaakt.
Fijn fotoverslag, chsmpagnekurken om die handvaten te maken. Hartstikke leuk!
Het verbaasde me zelf ook dat je al tijdens je allereerste workshop zo’n mooie mand kunt maken. Alle lof aan onze ‘juf’.