r/BasketWeaving

I don't even know where to begin to write about this wonderful experience.

Perhaps I'll start by mentioning that there was both highs and lows. This was a huge emotional rollercoaster for me!

In my first week, especially, I was working very hard (6 baskets in 5 days), putting myself under pressure, and anxious to prove that I could do it. In the evenings I was a bit grumpy and on-edge - probably not that friendly to be around! - but as I got to the end of the week, and I started to see that the baskets coming, I was able to breathe again.

I learned more in the second week, perhaps - with the big green basket, a frame basket, and a potato skib (or sciob). These baskets had some unique challenges and they could not be hurried. I was especially surprised to experience the difficulty of making a basket with very curved sides! - how to get that waling so that it's almost horizontal, but also ready to come up. I didn't nail it, but I am very happy with the results, and I'm looking forward to trying that challenge another time.

When I set off for my two weeks of basket tuition, my goal was fairly simple: to be able to independently create neat circular baskets which matched my initial intentions. Since I've returned, I've made two baskets - and in these cases, at least, I'm getting closer to that goal. (I'll probably share some of those baskets in the near future).

I've posted a few times on this sub, and if you've seen my posts, you'll know that I am not a natural at baskets - sure, I enjoy the experience, but for a host of reasons, my initial efforts were not always "beautiful". While I stayed at the workshop, I made a total of 9 baskets, taking my life total up to 25: and it's very gratifying to finally see some progress.

Apologies if this post is a little bit hurried. There are many things I could say, and only so much time in my day to type! but I am grateful to have a place where I can share these things. How is your basketry journey going this week?

I found this kit at a thrift store for $.75 and finally made it. It’s older, geared toward the Boy Scout basketry merit badge, and made from dyed rattan. My version is a little wonky and the rim is a little different, but I was happily surprised by the directions and how closely mine matches the picture. And it holds my last project (obsession), crocheted strawberries, nicely too.

Someone suggested that I share this journey with fellow Redditors. I hope this is the right place for it.

I got obsessed with grass plaiting over the winter. I wanted to make a hat for one of the cats that I live with but quickly found out that pasture grasses are far from ideal for baskets and hats. Apparently wheat straw is the go to but not modern wheat varieties because they are selectively bread to be short. Nope, the best is heritage varieties. I ended up purchasing and planting Red Fife. It is a Canadian heritage variety that grows to an average of five to six feet tall! That's what I'm talkin' about.

The lovely human that I'm partnered with went and collected some fallen logs and we made an 8 x 14 foot "frame" for the bed that was to grow the wheat. We covered the grass with soaked cardboard to hopefully smother the grass underneath and then covered it with about 12" of loam and some black soil with chunks of clay mixed in. I tried to get as much of the clay chunks as I could but there's going to be some left of course. I hope the wheat will do okay with that depth and/or he able to grow through the cardboard mush.

I looked up row spacing for planting wheat and it was mixed. Some articles say 4 "- 6" spacing gives the highest yields. Other articles are talking about farmers wanting to go to 10" or 14" spacing. Of course this is all info for farmers working with modern strains. I have no idea how that translates to the heritage variety that I planted. I decided to plant mini plots of different spacing to experiment. Ideally I want narrow spacing to maximize the small area that I am working with but we shall see as the growing season goes on. I have 2," 4", 6", and 10" spacing sowed to 1" depth. The 4" spacing has the most seed. I had purchased 250g of wheat berries and sowed all of it. I hope that the sowing density isn't too high not too low. I am not great at math and didn't figure out how to go from X kg / acre to what we have in the front yard.

I'm anxious but also to see the wheat start to peek out of the soil. This is going to be a bit of a journey from seed to harvest. I'm sure to learn a lot.

Next post will hopefully be an update on the germination of the wheat babies.

Ps. If you are wise in the ways of wheat growing, what do I not know that I don't know, but need to know?

Made entirely out of woven paper vines. It’s a bit different from a classic basket, but the weaving techniques are very similar. Getting the curves right on the neck was a fun challenge. What do you think of the shape?

I know nothing about these bags except my grandma used to own them (unfortunately she has since passed and her collection unwillingly went to another distant family member) and that I think they’re absolutely beautiful. I know these are very sought after (the real ones) but are there ways to understand authenticity? I’ve read the weave must be a certain way and the top must fit evenly. I found one online and I weirdly keep looking at the top for why it looks a little off to my untrained eye. How does this one look otherwise?