Thursday, January 17, 2019

Useful Pointers On Basketry Kits

By Ruth Thomas


Basket making is an ancient craft which utilizes simple tools and naturally grown materials. It is a good hobby that adds charm to your personal touch. Basketry kits can help you use your time well as you can sell what you make or even give your friends gifts. Here are some of the basic things one should know before getting started.

There are various tools you will require for weaving the container with ease. For instance, a scissor and a sharp knife is required to cut osiers. For chipping off the ends, you will need side cutters. A rounded nose pliers is important for kinking stakes prior to bending them. Other items required are measuring tape, knitting needle, clothe pins and protective water cloth for the work.

Crafting can also be done the same way whether one is working on a cane or willow. The soft willow shoots are osiers which are cut into various sizes and colors before they are used to curve baskets. They can be prepared in a number of ways as some are cut when still thin and others are cut when thick for them to offer different weights needed for heavy and light work.

As you are crafting, there are two fundamental weights you have to work with. This can be the broad and heavy osiers or the cane normally used for stakes which form the structure and skeleton of a basket. In each work, more than a single thickness width of the stake is required. Heavy skates are crucial in weaving the bottom parts while the the light ones are used to craft the sides.

The wavers and stakes should be soaked and dampened prior to using them. When they are soaked, they become soft and therefore can be easily manipulated. They also will not easily break or crack. After soaking them for half an hour, remove them from the water and wrap them in a damp cloth for some time. The osiers you want to use for stakes should be kept straight whereas weavers should be soaked while coiled and only straightened prior to using them.

The base of the container is important and it is what makes it strong. Traditional basket weaving is normally made of cane or willow throughout, even the base. There are a number of ways you can create the base depending on the shape. You may choose an oval, square or round base. The difference between the round and oval base is determined at an early stage by the number of stakes.

The simplest way of crafting while making baskets is randing. When working around continuously, you need to use an odd number of stakes for the pattern to come out immediately in the second row. When working with an even number of stakes, make use of two separate weavers. Randing is normally used for larger areas of weaving.

Pairing can also be used in this craft. It uses two weavers that are twisted around each other. For controlling the shape of the basket at the top, you will be required to use the waling method. It is important you over-estimate the strakes size rather than using an under-estimated size since trimming off the over-estimated ones is easy.




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