Swept Away – the Broom Making book by Karen Hobbs!
The Vanishing Art of Broom Making …
Broomcorn, broomsticks, turkey wing whisk brooms, hearth brooms, kitchen brooms, angel whisk brooms, broomstick cake and more all in a new book by basket maker, gourd artist and broom maker Karen Hobbs. “Swept Away, the Vanishing Art of Broom Making” is scheduled to be released this December (2017). Read more
My Newly Updated Studio
Seven weeks ago, we decided that we needed to re-shingle the roof. No leaks, but it was just time. That decision started a discussion on the chimneys – which lead to the decision to remove the fireplace …which lead to deciding to remove the oak paneling … which lead to deciding to remove a brick wall in the living room … which lead to needing new flooring in our main living areas … which (obviously) got me thinking about new flooring in the studio and dye room and reminded me that EVERY wall needed a fresh coat of paint!
August Basket Classes
It’s the last day of August! My month disappeared in flurry of home remodeling. Not quite done, in September I tear my studio and dye room down and get it ready for paint and new flooring. Not exactly sure where I will put everything while the old flooring is being ripped out and new installed, but I know I will love it when it’s done! I’ll try to take some before, during and after photos for you.
Besides, self contracting and remodeling, I did do some teaching. In early August, a group of weavers in Sussex, Wisconsin invited me to teach. They had three projects going: Twizarr, T Tray and Arrows.
Twining a Round Base
There are a couple of ways to weave a round base on a basket. Today, I am posting my tutorial on how to twine a perfectly round base with round reed on flat or flat oval spokes. I took lots of pictures and I am just going to start at the very beginning. I will post some pictures of baskets with twined round bases at the end of the post.
Summer in the Studio
I have spent most of the last several weeks in the studio, avoiding our wet, cool summer and the mosquito filled woods. It’s fine with me, the studio is my happy place. I have been weaving, writing proposals and patterns, filling kit orders, working on a tutorial, finishing baskets, playing with paper and dyeing reed. Last week, I updated my Teaching Schedule, adding in the beginnings of my 2018 class schedule. So much to do and so many baskets to weave.
Here’s a peak at some of the new baskets I have been weaving and will be teaching soon:
Faded Dreams Read more
Summer Basket Kit Sale
I finally did that inventory thing and I am ready to clear out my storage room to make room for my 2018 baskets – so I am having a summer kit sale! If you follow me, you know I don’t often offer kits on my web site. This won’t last long – maybe a few weeks, maybe a month. Then I will be on to other things.
UPDATE: The summer kit sale is over. You may still enjoy scrolling through the baskets and the patterns are still available in my store – so I will leave this post up. I hope to have a Fall Kit Sale, so check back!
First Shipping Details: $5 for the first kit, the add $2.50 for each additional kit. Five or more kits and shipping is a flat $15. 🙂
And here’s what I have in my storage room – I’ll list them alphabetically. (Keep scrolling folks – I am offering one of the kits at half price!) Click on the name or the photo to find it in the store. Read more
Weavin’ in Winona 2017
Winona, Minnesota is located in eastern Minnesota, sandwiched between the Mississippi River and the river bluffs. It is a beautiful city. Weavin’ in Winona happens in a window lined conference room on the Winona State University Campus. A picturesque location and a great facility – and those are just the first impressions of a wonderful basket weaving event!
Three days of beautiful baskets, weaving, laughing and hanging out together!
Weaving Baskets in Jabez, Kentucky
The Bluegrass Area Basketmakers Seminar, or ‘basket camp’ as many of the attendees call it, took place last week at the Cumberland Leadership Center in Jabez, Kentucky. For six days the place bustled with people weaving baskets, visiting and sometimes just sitting out on the porch in the rockers. It really is a place where we ‘eat, sleep and weave’ for a whole week. It was good.
Basketpalooza – Weaving Baskets in West Tennessee
We had such a wonderful time in Camden, Tennessee with the West Tennessee Basket Guild.
We set up shop, they picked out kits and we were off – Read more
I’m Still on the Planet
Yep, still here.
Four weeks ago we left to go on a family vacation, west to Montana and Alberta. It was a good trip …
Conference of Northern California Handweavers
I am just home from the west and another great event. Flying out I had a window seat and mostly clear skies… so beautiful.
Penny picked me up at the airport in Oakland and we drove down the coast to Pacific Grove and
Weavin’ Up North
Last week I went north to teach at Weavin’ Up North in Bemidji, Minnesota. When I left home, my woods looked like this:
a little green here and there.
six hours later I reached Lake Superior – cold, gray and SNOWING!
A few hours later I was in Bemidji. The clouds were clearing off when I stopped to get a picture of Paul Bunyan and Babe, his blue ox. Read more
A Week of Weaving
After I unpacked and reorganized after Stateline Friends Weaving Retreat, I spent a few days putting my class materials for Weavin’ Up North together, shipped my materials for the Conference of Northern California Handweavers and then I wove!
Ahhh, my hands were happy.
I needed to weave up some class samples- Read more
Stateline Friends Weaving Retreat 2017!
Stateline Friends Weaving Retreat 2017 – I’m home sorting through my carload of stuff and a camera full of pictures. For those of you who missed this event – I am sorry. Hopefully you can join us next year. For those of you who were able to attend – it was great fun wasn’t it!?
This event is always bustling with energy. People talking. People laughing. People weaving baskets. People teaching basketry. People shopping for basket supplies. I hope that the photo journal I am sharing with you today gives you a sense of the enthusiasm in the air. I was teaching so I couldn’t catch everything or everyone but I think you will enjoy the walk through.
I love your Beaded Ring Basket. They make wonderful gifts. I am having trouible finding the 5/32″ black ash (FO) for rimming. Any suggestions on where I can go to find this?
Hmm that’s a good question. Try Red Valley Splint.
What is the name of the basket you have on your email post – the diagonal plaited basket with two handles??? Love it.
The basket is called ‘Zoe’ I am weaving it and writing the pattern right now 🙂
I finished the four strand braid basket with beads . A bit of a challenge to figure out, the video was great. Live the way the beads went in. A fun little basket.
Great!! Glad the video helped!
Beautiful baskets! Especially love the miniatures on the trees! Thanks for sharing.
I notice the comment about the 4 strand brad basket with beads. I am looking for a basket pattern that uses beads in the basket. What do you suggest? Thank you for the help.
Shirley, I have one basket that incorporates beading in the weave: Beaded Ring Basket
I also know that Susan Coyle has some beautiful basket patterns with beads. I am not sure if she has a web site, but you may be able to find her patterns on basketpatterns.com
I hope this is a good start for you.
Hi Annette,
I’m making your Twines and Braids pattern, and am in need of more beads for this basket. May I ask where you purchased
them, so I can order more?
Thank you!!!
Betty G