Basket Essentials: Rib Basket Weaving; Techniques and Projects for DIY Woven Reed Baskets

Artist Irish (Pyrography Style Handbook) offers an attractively designed and inviting introductory volume for anyone interested in weaving baskets. She starts by explaining that rib baskets are made using a rim hoop that creates the basket’s circular opening, or by the hoop that forms the spine and the basket handle. It is not an “exacting craft,” she instructs, but one where projects can change at each step, depending on the “tension of a weave, the natural weaving abilities of a material, the dampness of the weaving material,” and other variables. She introduces the main construction material used in this craft, basket reed, made from “thorny, vine-like palms,” and encourages experimentation with additional materials in the same basket, including raffia, twine, and cotton cord, and in general urges aiming for a “variety of textures, thicknesses, and colors” that will create visual interest. Irish supplements the text with photos of different weaving steps, and vivid images of the finished products, such as the “Half God’s Eye Hip Basket” and “Wheel-Ear High Shoulder Melon Basket.” Her attractive illustrations and skillful instructions should inspire many newcomers to try out this laid-back craft. (June)