MAKE YOUR OWN TWIG BASKETS
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READY, SET.. . WEAVE!
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Whether you're working with green or dry shoots, begin the weaving process by selecting a number of twigs of about equal length .. . to form the ribs of your basket. Lay three or four of the sticks side by side on the ground (or on any flat surface), alternating their thick (butt) ends with the tapering tips. Then lay an equal number of stems across the first bunch . . . so the two groups of twigs intersect at right angles in the center, as shown in Photo 1.
Now choose your first "weaver" branch and work it between your fingers until it's nice and pliable . . . when the twig will flex easily without breaking, you're ready to start putting the base of the basket together. Bend the weaver at a point about one-third its length, and loop it—at the bend—around one of the four bundles of ribs. The two halves of the weaver will cross as you move both its ends toward the next bundle of twigs (see Photo 2). Weave around the center (always in a clockwise direction) by alternating the two halves of your vine . . . one end will cross over the bundle of ribs while the other tip passes under that same bunch, and vice versa for the next bundle (as illustrated in Photo 3).
Keep on binding the ribs together in this way until the shorter section of the weaver is used up. When you're left with only the long end, divide the rib bundles into separate branches and pull them out into an evenly spaced radial arrangement . . . then use up the long end of your weaver by simply threading it under and over those individual ribs. When you come to the end of the twig, you'll need to anchor its last couple of inches. Just jab the free end through the woven lattice, toward the center of the basket. If the twig pokes out the other side, don't worry ... you can trim off any loose ends later.
Now take a second weaver and nudge its tapered tip into the previous work to secure it, just as you did with the last end of the first branch. Once it's attached, you can start lacing the new twig through the ribs . . . continuing where you left off with the first weaver. Work the vines together as tightly as possible, keeping each new woven circle close to the previous one . . . as in Photo 4.
SHAPING THE BASKET
Pretty soon the section of flat weaving will be as wide as you want the base of your basket to be . . . and that's when your creativity will begin to figure in the construction. To form the sides of the container, simply force the ribs upward into a vertical position while you continue to weave through them. This process will take a little muscle at first . . . but-as you thread more and more rows of weavers you'll find that the ribs become easier to mold into position (see Photo 5).
