Basketmaking postponed
Friday before last I put some of the thicker willow rods in the PVC pipe DH got for me, to soak for 6-7 days. Last Monday I added the thinner “weaver” rods. I looked forward to the coming Friday when I planned to take a day off for myself and work on my basket. Well things did not go according to plan. The rods kept fighting back – I had not soaked them long enough even though the time had been within the parameters given in the instructions. It was the shortest amount, for the weavers at least, and I think they needed more time.
I had over-soaked the rods for the rim and handle, which caused the bark to come off in places, and was anxious not to repeat the mistake. But, after a few hours of wrestling with the project, and only becoming more and more frustrated, I decided to give up for the day and let the rods soak some more. Hopefully I can take it up again on Monday.
I can already tell by the rim and handle that this baskets will not be as nice as the one I made under Carol H’s tutelage*. That saddens me a bit, but it is only through doing will I learn. So I hope to do my best, and have at least something I can carry things in or put things in – it will look very, very “rustic” and I will have to explain to anyone who sees it that no, it wasn’t my first one, it was my second one actually – the one done all by myself.
Perhaps I can arrange another tutoring session with Carol, to learn better how to make the rim and handle. Working with her is a very nice day out for me, so perhaps if we go down to Cornwall again I can take a Friday, or perhaps I can even somehow manage to afford going down on my own for a weekend?? Yeah, right, dream on…. But you never know….
I think as I reflect on this project which is not going quite the way I would like it to have gone, I remember what I am always saying to people who think about trying this or that craft – “you have to be willing to make mistakes”. It takes humility of a sort. I will be a bit embarrassed about this basket, if I manage to finish it. I will also have the pleasure of knowing I stuck it out.
I just hope I can finish it and not ruin all my materials with mistakes!
Then, hopefully, the next one will be better, and the next one even better, and so on.
*Carol Horsington runs Cornish Willow along with David Taylor. You can visit their website here.
