Over Two, Under One: Weaving a Reed Basket

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Finally, let any wetted reed dry thoroughly before you put it away . . . otherwise it'll likely mildew.

WEAVING IN THE ROUND

The basic round basket illustrated here is made with what's called separate base construction, which simply means that the bottom is woven first and then more spokes are added to make the sides. Japanese weave is used for the base, and triple and chasing weaves for the sides. The border is a four-row trac, and the handles have a rope wrap.

For this project you'll need several sizes of round reed: one-half pound of No. 2 for weavers . . . one-quarter pound of No. 5 for spokes . . . and either two 15" lengths of No. 8 (1/4") for side handles, or one 33" length of No. 10 (5/16") to make a single handle. (If No. 10 is unavailable, use two lengths of No. 5.)

You'll also need diagonal cutters, needlenosed or round-nosed pliers, an awl (bone is best), a knife, a tape measure, twistties, a plastic dishpan, an old enamel pan (one that you don't mind staining), a towel, and powdered dye (for the basket shown here, I used rust and evening blue).

PREPARING THE REED

Once you have all your materials together, carefully cut all the outer bands of a No. 2 bundle, but do not cut the bands that hold the smaller groupings of strands together. Gently pull out one long strand at a time, roll it into a six-inch coil, and wrap the end two or three times through the center to hold it.

With a number of coils ready, fill the enamel pan with eight cups of water and the whole package of rust dye. (Leftover mixed dye can be saved for later use.) Bring the water to a simmer, then drop in three of the coiled strands of No. 2 reed. Let them dye for three or four minutes, turning them frequently. When the color looks dark enough (remember, it'll become lighter again as it dries), remove the strands and rinse them thoroughly in cold water. If the reed doesn't look dark enough after it's been rinsed, put the strands back in the dye for another few minutes. Do be sure the material is rinsed thoroughly once it's dyed, though, or the color will run during the soaking process and stain the whole basket. (It's best to soak each shade of dyed reed in a separate container.)

Next, prepare the package of blue dye in the same manner as you did the rust. The blue color takes longer to set, so allow eight strands of No. 2 to simmer for five to six minutes this time. Again, rinse the reed thoroughly when you're done.

FROM THE BOTTOM UP

To start the base of the basket, cut eight 7-1/2" spokes of No. 5 reed, and soak them in warm water, for five minutes, along with a handful of No. 2 reed. Then, with the awl, punch a hole in the center of each of four of the spokes, carefully making the holes large enough to thread the other four spokes through, as shown in Fig. 1.

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