Sunday, July 22, 2012

Adding Color / Adding Sticks


Today I started adding color to my basket cap!  This is exciting because it’s the beginning of my design.  Overlay material is used to add color and create our endless opportunities for making beautiful basket designs. Today I worked with bear grass (panyúrar).

It is gathered mid-summer high in the mountains.  Only the center shoots of the plant are gathered, because they are the most pliable.  It’s best to gather in an area that’s been burned the year before, as these new plants will have the best quality. The shoots are green when first picked, but when dried in the sun they turn a creamy white. Bear grass also has razor sharp edges capable of giving “paper cuts.”  Ouch!  I am now working with bear grass that I gathered in previous years, because we are not going to be able to gather any this year as there are no burned areas.  The availability of quality basket materials is always an issue for weavers.  Some years, materials are not available so it’s always good to get extra when we go out gathering.

I added lots of sticks today, which is very slow going.  The sticks must be added consistently and evenly, which keep the weaving stitches uniform and tight. Uniformity in materials prevents the basket from becoming lumpy. Verna reminded me not to sort as I weave, but to have my materials sorted by size before I start weaving.  Ahh… teacher’s wisdom.

Next, I’ll start adding red woodwardia fern (tíiptiip) into my overlay design.

Due to summer time activities, I’ll not be updating this blog until the end of August.

Súva_nik (see you later)



Lots of new sticks added today.

The spruce root is woven between the sticks and the bear grass
overlays the root.

A small bundle of bear grass.

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