CHAPTER V

HANDLES AND LIDS

MODEL 17.——FIG. 21

SMALL CARRYING BASKET IN STRIPED EFFECT

This little basket, in the striped design of blue and white with blue handle, was made by a little 10-year-old boy of the defective delinquent class.

MATERIAL

6 spokes No. 4 natural reed, 20 inches. 1 spoke No. 4 natural reed, 11 inches. Weavers No. 2 blue reed. Weavers No. 2 natural reed. Handle——1 spoke No. 4 natural reed, 20 inches.

Weave a base, with the striped design carried out, 2-3/4 inches. Two weavers are necessary to get this effect——one blue, the other of natural color. Weave these two colors in pairing. With the spokes slightly flared outward, weave the sides, in the striped effect, 3-1/2 inches. With two weavers of blue and one of natural, weave two rows of “Wale.” Finish with Open Border No. 2.

HANDLE

Insert one end of the 20 inch spoke of No. 4 reed down through the weaving, to the right of one of the spokes of the basket. Insert the other end on the opposite side of basket in the same way. Place the end of a blue weaver down, through the weaving, by the side of inserted spoke, twist it over the handle, then under, then over, next under, over, until the end of the handle is reached, thus making nine twists around the handle. The last twist is passed back of the handle, over the triple twist to the inside of the basket, then it is brought to the outside of basket under the triple twist. Following the twists around the handle, the weaver is twirled in this way until the handle is completely covered by the blue weaver. Four rows of this weaving around the basket will cover the entire handle. To fasten the end of the weaver, carry it back of the spoke, between the woven handle, and down through the triple twist, where it is made secure and then cut off.

MODEL 18.——FIG. 22

LITTLE MARKETING BASKET IN GREEN

This may be used in gathering eggs from the chicken yard or in doing little marketing. It is all woven in natural color reed and after the basket is completed is dyed.

MATERIAL

10 spokes No. 4 reed, 23 inches. 1 spoke No. 4 reed, 12 inches. Weavers No. 4 natural reed. Weavers No. 2 natural reed. Handle——1 spoke No. 5 reed, 26 inches.

Over 10-1/2 spokes weave a base five inches in diameter. Turn up with three rows of No. 4 reed in triple twist. In single weaving, work the sides five inches high giving a slightly rounded effect and widening toward the top. Finish with three rows of triple and the following border.

Numbering the spokes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, take No. 1 spoke back of No. 2, in front of No. 3, back of No. 4, in front of No. 5, back of No. 6 where it rests; then No. 2 spoke follows in the same way, back of No. 3, in front of No. 4, back of No. 5, in front of No. 6, back of No. 7, where it rests. Each spoke is woven in the same manner until all spokes have disappeared amid the weaving.

HANDLE

To make the handle firm and strong, insert the ends four and a half inches through the weaving of the basket. The handle is entirely covered with No. 2 reed as described in preceding basket.

MODEL 19.——FIG. 23

LUNCH BASKET WITH LID

MATERIAL

10 spokes No. 4 reed, 4 inches. 19 spokes No. 4 reed, 13 inches. Handle——1 strand No. 5 reed, 20 inches. Lid——8 spokes No. 4 reed, 18 inches. Weavers No. 4 reed. Weavers No. 2 reed.

Weave a base four inches. Work the sides four inches high. Both the top and bottom of the sides are woven with two rows No. 4, triple twist. Finish with the following border. Number the spokes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Turn down the first four toward the outside of the basket. Place No. 1 spoke back of No. 2, No. 2 spoke back of No. 3, No. 3 spoke back of No. 4, No. 4 spoke back of No. 5; now bring No. 1 spoke over No. 2 and No. 3 spokes, in front of No. 5 spoke, over No. 4 spoke, back of No. 6 spoke. Carry No. 5 spoke back of No. 6 spoke and place it by the side of No. 1 spoke. In like manner, run No. 2 spoke over No. 3 and No. 4 spokes, in front of No. 6 spoke, over No. 5 spoke and back of No. 7 spoke. Place No. 6 spoke back of No. 7 spoke and bring it out to the front by the side of No. 2 spoke. Continue in this manner until all the spokes are woven in the proper position. Be careful to make the border uniform throughout. The diameter of the top of basket should now measure 6-3/4 inches.

The handle is not completely covered, like the preceding basket, but a small part of the foundation is shown between the twists.

The lid is made similar to that in the preceding lesson except on a larger scale. It should fit closely within the basket. The base when finished should measure 6-3/4 inches. It is finished off with a Rope Twist Border. The handle of the lid is a twisted ring made as described in the preceding chapter.

MODEL 20.——FIG. 24

OVAL BASKET WITH LID

MATERIAL

6 spokes No. 3 reed, 21 inches. 1 spoke No. 3 reed, 11 inches. Weavers No. 2 reed. Lid——6 spokes No. 3 reed, 12 inches. 1 spoke No. 3 reed, 7 inches. Weavers No. 2 reed.

On a three inch base, weave a slightly rounded basket five inches high. Finish with Closed Border No. 2.

In making a lid for a basket the first thing to be decided on is its shape; if the basket is barrel shaped, the lid to harmonize should have the curved effect. The lid of this basket is rounded to correspond with the basket.

LID

Weave a good center, over the 6-1/2 spokes, with either raffia or No. 00 reed. After 3/4 inch is woven, begin with fine No. 2 reed, and weave two rows, drawing the spokes in with the weaver. After two rows are woven, hold the spokes slightly outward and weave fourteen rows. Complete the basket with the following border which is suitable for lids of baskets:

ROPE TWIST BORDER

Each spoke is passed in front of the next spoke to the right and brought inside the lid. For the second row, each spoke is passed to the outside of the lid over the next spoke to the right, and to the inside of the lid where it is cut off carefully.

The ring handle is made in the following way:

With a strand of No. 2 reed, 17 inches long, make a ring about one inch; then weaving alternately with one end and then the other, pass the ends in and out around the ring——two rows complete the ring. When the ring is finished you should have ends about 3-1/2 inches long. These ends are fastened above two rows of the weaving in the lid, thus securing the ring to the lid.

After the lid is placed in proper position on the basket, it is fastened by holding the ring down by side of the basket and placing the center of a strand of No. 2 reed back of a spoke in the basket. Draw both ends out, and in the form of a cross, pass them over the lower part of ring, draw them under the weaving to the inside of the basket where they are woven in and out to make them secure.

The rings for the front of basket and lid are made in a similar way, the ends being woven in and out amid the weaving of the basket and lid. One ring should be smaller than the other to keep the larger ring from slipping out.

MODEL 21.——FIG. 25

CANDY BASKET

MATERIAL

10 spokes No. 5 reed, 6 inches. 20 spokes No. 5 reed, 8 inches. Lid——10 spokes No. 5 reed, 15 inches. 1 spoke No. 5 reed, 8 inches. Weavers Nos. 00, 2, 5 round reed. Weavers No. 5 oval reed.

Weave a 6 inch base. Turn the sides with three rows of No. 5, triple twist. With oval reed No. 5, weave 7 rows in the two and one weave, change to No. 5 reed and finish with three rows triple. While weaving, the spokes should be slightly drawn in. The following border is used: first row each spoke is run back of one spoke and out to the front; second row, each spoke is passed in front of the next two spokes and in back of the third where it is cut off. Diameter of top of base should be almost five and a half inches.

LID

The center of lid corresponding to center in the base of the basket is woven and separated with No. 00 reed. Weave twelve rows of No. 2 reed next. Then with oval reed No. 5, weave in single weaving, five rows. Hold the spokes, to get a slightly rounded effect. Turn down the spokes with four rows of triple twist. Finish the basket with the Rope Twist Border, described under Model 20. The diameter of the lid should be a little over 6 inches. It should fit the basket so as to slide off and on easily. The ring handle in the center completes the lid.

MODEL 22.——FIG. 26

FANCY SEWING BASKET WITH LID

MATERIAL

10 spokes No. 4 reed, 5-1/2 inches. 21 spokes No. 4 reed, 16 inches. Lid——16 spokes No. 4 reed, 18 inches. 1 spoke No. 4 reed, 7 inches. Weavers No. 2 reed and No. 4 reed. Handle——1 spoke No. 2 reed, 21 inches.

Over the 10 spokes, weave a base 5-1/2 inches. Insert the 21 spokes and turn them up with two rows of triple twist. Hold the spokes slantingly outward and weave the sides 4-3/4 inches high. Finish with three rows triple twist and the following border:

BORDER

Numbering the spokes 1 to 7 and weaving to the right, place No. 1 spoke back of No. 2, No. 2 spoke back of No. 3, No. 3 spoke back of No. 4, No. 4 spoke back of No. 5. Now take No. 1 spoke, place it in front of Nos. 3 and 4 spokes and back of No. 5. Place No. 2 spoke in front of Nos. 4 and 5 spokes and back of No. 6 spoke. No. 3 spoke is passed in front of Nos. 5 and 6 spokes and back of No. 7. Continue this weaving until border is finished.

LID

Arrange the 16 spokes as described in Chapter II.

Weave three rows in pairing, and separate the spokes into groups of twos. Hold the spokes slightly curved and weave twelve rows in pairing. Insert the one seven inch spoke and weave one row triple twist. Now hold the spokes almost straight and continue weaving until a diameter of 9-1/4 inches is obtained. Complete the lid with a rope border.

Attach a ring handle to the lid as shown in the model.