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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