{"id":18210,"date":"2017-08-15T10:07:19","date_gmt":"2017-08-15T15:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.prairiewoodbasketry.com\/?p=18210"},"modified":"2017-08-16T07:54:48","modified_gmt":"2017-08-16T12:54:48","slug":"twining-a-round-base","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prairiewoodbasketry.com\/index.php\/2017\/08\/15\/twining-a-round-base\/","title":{"rendered":"Twining a Round Base"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are a couple of ways to weave a round base on a basket. Today, I am posting my tutorial on how to\u00a0twine a perfectly round base with round reed on flat or flat oval spokes.\u00a0<\/strong>I took lots of pictures and\u00a0I 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.<\/p>\n

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First, mark the centers on the spokes (on the rough or wrong side).<\/p>\n

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I am making a rather large basket with a total of twenty 1\/2″ spokes, so on ten of my spokes (that’s half of them), I will also mark 3″ on each side of center. (We will get back to the ‘what ever for’ in a bit.<\/em>)
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Take a long pin (I like to have several T pins in my weaving tools) and poke it through from the right side to the wrong side at the center mark. You will notice that the reed split where I poked the pin through, that’s because I didn’t dampen my spokes first. I got focused on taking the pictures … by the third spoke, I figured it out and remembered to dip my spokes in water first – no more splitting. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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Take a second spoke, poke the pin through it at center and lay it out as shown above.<\/p>\n

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Add in your remaining spokes, alternating and evenly spacing them.<\/p>\n

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When you have the spokes centered and on the T pin, you will be ready to weave. And look at that beautiful circle, that’s the line you will use as a guide while twining the first row. And that’s the ‘what ever for’ reason you added those secondary marks, a weaving guide!. \ud83d\ude42 <\/em><\/p>\n

At the end of this post I discuss how to know where to put these secondary marks on your<\/em> basket.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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I like to start twining a round base by taking a long length of round reed (#3RR for this base) and crimping it just off center.<\/p>\n

Crimp by flattening the WET round reed with a pair of needle nose pliers. Crimping the round reed allows you to fold it without having the reed split or crack or break.<\/p>\n

Now loop the round reed around the very first spoke you added to the T pin and begin twining. As you twine this first row, take your time to make sure that your tension is even and you are weaving on the secondary lines.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How to twine: Well that is the topic of my next tutorial (hopefully next month – I have most of the pictures!). But in a nutshell – you will be using two weavers, there will always be a weaver above and a weaver below the spoke. Bring both spokes to the outside of the basket. then take the weaver that is above spoke #1 and bring it under spoke #2 and then back to the outside. As you can see in the photo below, as the weaver goes behind spoke #2, the other weaver will be above spoke #2.<\/p>\n

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Look at that – a beautiful circle. What a great start to your base. Now continue twining (no need to step up) until you have enough room to add your remaining spokes AND continue to twine comfortably.<\/p>\n

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This looks a little tight.<\/p>\n

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This looks perfect, see how the twining continues to lay flat. Add in the spokes one at at time as you weave around the base.<\/p>\n

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Be sure to make sure to center these spokes.<\/p>\n

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Continue weaving until the spokes are spaced for weaving the sides and the base is the the right size. This base has diameter of 12″.<\/p>\n

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I like to finish twined round bases with a four rod locking rod. Use the next size up of round reed to do this row. This is the inside of base (rough side up) with the locking row. I have a tutorial for this – click here for my Four Rod Locking Row Tutorial.<\/a>
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This is the outside of the finished base. Don’t you love how simple it is to make such a beautiful round base!<\/p>\n

In a nutshell: the basket base woven in this post has a total of 20 spokes. On ten spokes I made the secondary marks at 3″ on each side of center and I twined with #3 RR. The base is 12″ base in diameter.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And here are a few of my patterns that start with a twined round base: Beaded Ring Basket<\/a> and Christmas Bells Gift Basket<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

and SouthWestern Work Basket <\/a>and Faded Dreams -this pattern is in process \ud83d\ude42 Proofing and testing should be complete by early 2018.<\/p>\n

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Determining Where to Place the Secondary Marks?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This section is for those of you who want to use secondary marks on every round base you twine and maybe even design your own baskets. \u00a0I have been weaving a long time and have a a round base chart ‘of sorts’ in my head, its not very scientific and it is a little hard to share, but I can share some specifics. First, remember the secondary marks are only on\u00a0half of the spokes<\/em>; the base is started with these spokes.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Where to put the secondary marks depends on three (or four) \u00a0things: <\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. the width of the spokes<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. the number of spokes being used<\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. the size weaver being used<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The fourth element, is your personal weaving style – how tightly you weave and how close you like your spokes. <\/strong>The secondary mark must be far enough from center to space the spokes enough to twine comfortably. So -how much space is the question. I have suggestions from the ‘chart’ in my head: \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n