[Nfb-krafters-korner] Basket Weaving

[Susan Roe]

The hard bottomed baskets are the simplest to learn.  The circular bottoms 
already have the holes drilled in them and then you just soke the reeds, cut 
to a specific length, incert reeds into holes and take the extended portion 
of the reeds and bending them sidewase, each reed end will lock the next 
reed end flat under the next reed and so on.  These reeds now become your 
uprights for the basket sides.  You continue soaking your reeds and weaving 
them in and out of your upright reeds until you reach the height you want. 
Then you have to soak the top of your basket so your upright reeds become 
flexable again and then you can bend them over and weave them into the top 
of your basket which wil give it the finished top.

Susan
dogwoodfarm at verizon.net
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Blindhands at aol.com>
To: <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2011 2:27 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Basket Weaving


>I had checked out that website Susan that you sent to the list.  Man  there
> was a lot of interesting things there I would love to get kits and give a
> try.
>
> What would be a beginners reed basket to start with.
>
> I know when I was up at Girl Scout Camp they had a basket that had a solid
> base disk and I don't remember exactly what we did, but we put the reed
> into the  base and then wove reed in and out of the reed sticking up 
> Maybe
> that wasn't quite it, but the kids and I caught on.  I did not finish the
> one I was working on.  I took it apart and put the supplies back.
>
> I might have to do some investigating and find a simple kit for us to try
> out here on Krafters Korner.
>
> Joyce  Kane
> _www.KraftersKorner.org_ (http://www.krafterskorner.org/)
> Blindhands at AOL.com
>
>
> In a message dated 1/22/2011 12:18:29 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
> magkisa83 at gmail.com writes:
>
> Thanks  so much!  Don't worry about the subject lines.  I'm just  behind
> on the list, that's all.  I'm glad to finally be getting  somewhere.
> This is exactly the kind of training that I'm seeking and it's  truly a
> shame that almost no one provides it today.  These used to be  the
> so-called blind trades, and here I am, a totally blind person, with  no
> support from most of the blind/visually-impaired community (most  are
> annoyed that I'm interested in these things as a career) and no  one
> who has the necessary skills to teach me.  I'm glad to have  finally
> found the exceptions.  I'd be interested in learning the  differences
> between the traditional reed weaving and coiling and to get a  start on
> something.  Any help you can give me, on or offline, would  be
> wonderful.  Feel free to e-mail me offlist as well.
>
> With  appreciation,
> Eleni
>
> On 1/22/11, Susan Roe  <dogwoodfarm at verizon.net> wrote:
>> Hi Eleni,
>>
>> Sorry  if the subject lines through you off.  It is sometimes difficult
> to
>> remember to change the subject line when you are answering other's  post.
>> I'll try harder from now on.
>>
>> Basket weaving of  almost any kind is not impossible for the blind to
> learn.
>> Some  tecniques are easier than others, of course, but styles and
> materials
>>  are endless once you master a few different basic tecniques.
>>
>>  Coil baskets are the easiest for a beginner because you learn how to
> shape
>> the materials you are using with your hands as you slowly build  your
> basket.
>> It has been mentioned that in the two basket classes I  taught for
> Krafters
>> Korner, that no two baskets were alike.  I  can almost garuntee that none
> of
>> them were.  Materials were  different to a degree and even everyone's
> mental
>> picture of their  basket is different as they shape and turn their basket
> in
>> their  hands.
>>
>> Standard reed baskets and coil baskets are not done the  same way;
> however,
>> you can use reeds in coil basketry.
>>
>>  I have never used a kit to do either kind of basket weaving.  I was
> taught
>> in highschool after I lost my sight over 30 years ago.  I  was
> mainstreamed
>> in school and never went to a school specifically  geared for the blind.
> I
>> had summer adjustment training, now  called transitional training when I
> was
>> 18 and was taught several  other crafting methods.
>>
>> I have another basket weaveing sight  that I'll send to you that is in
>> Kentucky, I think, and you can take a  look at what they have.  I have
> baught
>> my reeds in a local shop,  but I can't tell you the gauge because I go by
>> feel.
>>
>>  If you have any questions, contact me off line and I'll give you my 
>> home
>> number.  That goes for anyone else who is interested.   I'll answer
> whatever
>> I can on list, but sometimes it is just easier on  the phone.
>>
>> Susan
>>  dogwoodfarm at verizon.net
>>
>>
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>
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