The World of Wicker

Thyme and Season 

Steps to making your own basket

 Part 2
 

Weaving the Base

1. 
   1
   Insert two weavers. Now it's time to actually start weaving your basket! Find two long, thin shoots of similar length. Insert the ends of the shoots into the left edge of the horizontal slit in your slath, so that the small shoots extend outward next to one of the spokes. These two thinner shoots are called "weavers." Weavers are woven around the spokes to create the basket shape.
2. 
   2
   Do a pairing weave to secure the slath. "Pairing" is a type of weaving that uses two weavers, creating a secure base for your basket. Separate the weavers and bend them to the right over the adjacent spoke. Place one weaver over the spoke and one weaver under the spoke and gather them on the right side of the spoke. Now bring the bottom weaver up over the next spoke on the slath, and bring the top weaver under the spoke. Turn the slath and keep weaving, bringing the weaver that is now the bottom weaver over the next spoke, and the top weaver under the spoke. Keep pairing around the 4 spokes until you've created 2 rows.
   

   • Make sure each twist in the weave goes in the same direction.
   • Weave tightly so that the rows lie snugly next to each other.
3. 
   3
   Separate the spokes. The third time around, it's time to separate the individual spokes to form the round shape of you basket bottom. Now, instead of pairing around the grouped spokes, separate them and pair around each one individually using the exact same weaving method.
   

   • It might help to first bend each spoke outward so that they fan out like bicycle spokes. Ensure each spoke is separated by the same amount of space before you start weaving.
   • Continue pairing around the spokes until the basket base has reached the diameter you want.
4. 
   4
   Add new weavers when necessary. When you run out of length and need to add a new weaver, select one as close as possible to the side of the old weaver. Use a knife to create a pointed tip on the new weaver. Insert it between the weave of the last two rows and bend it to follow the path of the old weaver. Make sure it's securely in place, then use the hand pruner to trim off the end of the old weaver. Continue weaving using the new weaver.
   

   • Don't replace more than one weaver at a time. Replacing two or more weavers in the same place could create a weak spot in the basket.