Checkerboard Basket

This basket is not only a basket but you can also play checkers with it as 12 natural and 12 red checkers are attached on a string to the basket. I used 3/4" red material and 1/2" natural for the base and 1/2" natural for the weavers. Currently, the basket is 14" x 12 1/2" at the rim with 4" sides.

I would like to experiment with adding more stakes to the base and having the sides a bit shorter and making the base a bit longer on one side.

Square to round

Square to round baskets start with a square base and finish with a round rim. I have created these using flat reed and walnut dyed, using oak splints, and dying the reed using a rit dye. This design can also be shaped into a Shaker Cat Head design where the bottom part of the sides is curved looking like an upside down cat head.
I wove the green one while I was at the 2013 Trail of Courage event. I wove the oak splint basket in October at the store. It has a 6 1/2" square base, 12" diameter at the top and is 10 1/2" tall. The handles are of oak. This one would be good for storing wool yard (or any other type).

Oak square to round with slight bottom curve

Inside view of oak square to round

Green 8" square to round

Open weave base of green square to round

8" Round Cattail basket

This basket is made by first creating a circular ring of 8 folded over cattail leaves tied to a piece of waxed hemp twine. The cattail leaves are twined to create the base. More cattail leaves are folded over and then twined to added a fuller look to the base. The cattail leave base is set on its side to create the twined sides. New leaves are added to the leaves twining the base and sides for a continuous weave. The rim consists of two different woven weaves. The back is woven with waxed hemp twine. The front takes one spoke and weaves it behind the next two.

Melon Basket

This 8" melon basket consists of 2 oak rings (one for the rim and the other the handle), the ribs, a gods eye, and the weavers. Weavers are woven around the two oak rings to create the gods eye. The ribs are initially inserted into the gods eye and the weavers woven in an over/under pattern. Additional ribs are added later and the weavers are woven through all of the ribs to create the desired shape.

The weavers are 3/8" flat oval reed and are walnut dyed. The weave is continuous, including weaving over the rim, with new weavers added underneath the previous weaver for a continuous weave.

Looking at the inside of the basket.

Side view showing the gods eye

Potato Basket

This is a 10" diameter potato basket. The ribs are made of reed and are carved to a point at each end to fit into the initial woven area around the 3 main ribs and other weavers to create the form. The material is walnut dyed 1/4" flat reed. The rim is a 10" oak ring. The initial three ribs were carved at the top and secured at the rim using waxed hemp thread. Handles are part of the weave shown as open areas based on picture #2.

Side view showing the initial three ribs attached to the rim

Side view showing the handles

View looking into the basket

Field Basket

This round field basket is 11" diameter at the base and 12" at the rim. It is 12" in height. The spokes are 3/4" and the weavers are 1/4". The rim (inside and out) is of 1/2" flat round.
Cattail cordage has been woven into the center of the basket. A red chain design is added at the bottom and top. Cattail cordage is also added into the rim. It took me 2 days to make because of creating the 3 cattail cordage pieces. I had previously dyed the red material used for the chain design and the black walnut stained material use for the spokes and weavers. I did dip them again to get a darker color (also the reason for the additional time to finish). The handles are of oak.  

Adding the cattail cordage

Cordage I made to weave into basket

The finished basket

The inside view of the basket

The base of the basket