Over Two, Under One: Weaving a Reed Basket

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Finish the 7-1/2" base by trimming the last weaver a half-inch from the last spoke, crimping or folding this end over, and pushing it down along the spoke to hold it.

SIDE ISSUE

Now that you've got the base done, it's time to begin the sides. First, cut 32 spokes, each 20" long, from No. 5 reed, and soak them, in warm water, for about ten minutes . . . along with more of the No. 2 weavers.

Then turn the base over . . . cut one end of each of the side spokes on a slant . . . run your awl down along a base spoke to open up a space, and slide the side spoke in about two inches. Once it's in place, trim the base spoke as close to the weaving as possible . . . then run your awl along the other side of the same base spoke and insert a second side spoke. (This whole process is called bi-spoking.) Be sure to trim a base spoke only after a side spoke has been inserted . . . if you trim them all at once, there will be nothing to hold the base weavers in place!

When all 32 new spokes are in place, hold the underside of the base toward you and — using your pliers — crimp the side spokes as close to the base as possible. Pinch firmly . . . then, with your hand, gently push the spoke away from you (Fig. 5). If a spoke starts to crack, soak it before pinching it once again. Some of the spokes will begin to break no matter what you do. If a crack is more than halfway through, replace the spoke.

To form the container-to-be's sides, begin working from left to right on the outside of the basket, using triple weave. Lay three No. 2 weavers behind three consecutive spokes and mark the first spoke with a twist-tie (Fig. 6). [EDITOR'S NOTE: When instructions say that a weaver goes "behind"; "in back of", or "under" a spoke, they mean toward the inside of the basket. "In front of" and "over" mean to the outside.] Take the left weaver in front of the next two spokes to the right and, at the same time, over the top of the other two weavers. Now, run it behind the third spoke and back to the outside (Photo 2).

Be careful to catch each spoke with this weave . . . it's easy to go in front of three spokes instead of two should you mistake which spoke the weaver's behind. (If in doubt, pull the weavers out at a right angle to see which spokes they're coming from.) It's also important that the weavers end up on the outside of the basket after each move.

The secret to shaping the container's sides properly lies in pushing the spokes in with your left hand and pulling the weavers taut with your right. Practice, practice, and more practice will help you learn the correct balance between these two forces. Shaping is undoubtedly the most difficult aspect of basket weaving.

Do seven rows (or about one inch) in triple weave, ending over the three beginning spokes (count the rows on the long weavers between the spokes), and cut off all three weavers at the end of the seven rows.

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