This classic basket is reminiscent of an old farm bushel basket, but can be used for many modern purposes. Whether it’s filled with potatoes from your garden or a substantial pile of laundry, this basket can carry a load. Students will spend four days working with black ash in two forms: as splint for weaving and as billets for carving a rim and handles. Students will work with harvested and pre-shrunk black ash splint to cut, scrape, and lay out the base of the baskets. Under the watchful eye of the instructors, each student will weave their basket without the use of a form, making everyone’s basket unique. Students will use drawknives, spoke shaves, and slöjd knives to shape prepared ash billets on a shave horse before steam-bending the wood for an outer rim and two handles. Lashing the wooden parts to the woven basket results in a large, sturdy basket that could last for generations. The overall finished dimensions will be approximately 11” at the base and 15” in height, with the basket gradually opening up at the top.

No prior weaving experience is required for this course, but knife comfort and hand strength are needed to accomplish this project. While there are no long extended periods of standing, students will use their legs for periods on the shaving horse.

Youth ages 16-17 are welcome to register with an adult. Adult/youth pairs will complete one project and pay one materials fee. A 25% tuition discount applies to the youth registrant when registering with a full-paying adult; call to register.

Required Tools

• Paper and pencil for taking notes
• All other tools are supplied by the instructors

Optional Tools

• A carving knife