Random weave attempt

On June 1, 2025May 31, 2025 By CarynIn Craft

I really like random weave objects that are well done, so it is on my craft bucket list to practice random weaving. I realized I had a source of dried grapevine readily available in the wreath blank hanging on the front door. I filled the bathtub with water, weighted down the wreath, and let it soak for two days.

Photo description: grapevine wreath soaking in a tub with an upside down shower stool and a rock weighing it down

The random weave started out fine; I used loops and interlocked them as I circled around. The problem came when I tried to make the sides curve to make a basket. It stubbornly kept returning to a flat state. Hm. I kept at it for while, then acquiesced to the material’s demands. I finished weaving in all the vines that would weave (a portion was too thick, some were too short, and some were too brittle.) I then took all the little tendrils and wrapped them around nearby vines to lock the weave in.

Photo description: flat random weave still wet on the floor

I decided to hang the … object… back on the door. When it was dry I added some colored glass drops using some hot glue, then added fake spider silk by stretching out hot glue strands to give the disc even more of a tangle feel.

Photo description: grapevine tangle with glass drops hanging on a red door

Photo description: closeup side view of the grapevine tangle showing the hot glue strands

I think my issue was trying to make a medium sized basket with larger sized vines. And next time I think I should work on a form that has the shape I want.

Twining loom

On May 24, 2025 By CarynIn Craft

I finally made myself a twining loom, after returning my neighbor’s to her. I tried other shorter methods, but having the warp hang freely makes it so much easier to twine.

Photo description: bag twining loom made from 1×4” boards and two 7/16”dowels

The boards were in my scrap pile and 18.5” long. I used my band saw to cut one board down to 1.3”, then clamped them together and drilled seven 7/16” holes, four on one side, three on the other so I could always tell how the boards line up. The wider board on the bottom gives stability. The multiple holes give me options on bag width. Ironically, the dowels have a slight bend, and line up with nonparallel holes. Hm.

Photo description: twining two colors around free hanging warp threads in twos

My eldest gifted me some pretty green wool blend yarn for Mother’s Day, so I thought it best to make something for myself. I can never have too many project bags, and I like twining, so I just needed a loom. I had some synthetic rug yarn in my stash that was a pretty rich brown, so I used that for the warp to maximize the variegated green yarn available for the twined weft.

This will not be a quick project, but it will still be an enjoyable one.

Concave double walled basket

On May 17, 2025 By CarynIn Craft

This is my third double walled basket and I can definitely see my skill improvement. I wanted a larger, concave shape, and I was able to achieve the shape I wanted.

Photo description: starting the inner wall of the basket with added stakes, my next weavers soaking in a bin of water at my feet

Photo description; the stakes turned and weaving the second wall, again I chose to take the spokes at an angle

Photo description: finished double walled #2 round reed basket

Photo description: bottom edge with each stake woven behind, over, behind in a continuous braid, my best finish yet

I love these baskets. Now I want to experiment with different materials.

Reed coaster

On May 13, 2025 By CarynIn Craft

I was so excited about learning to weave baskets that I bought a pound of #2 round reed made from rattan palm. As I prepped stakes and weavers from the coiled bundle, I had shorter lengths left over. My weaver friend told me how to make coasters, so I saved the “waste” reed and used it as the stakes for a small weaving.

Photo description: coaster woven from #2 round reed

Photo description: coaster in use, with a coffee cup sitting on top

These coasters use shorter lengths of reed for the stakes or spokes, and one long weaver that weaves around the middle. It starts the same was as a double walled basket, but stays flat. They don’t take as long to weave as a full basket, and they seem to make excellent little mats for coffee or tea.

Double-walled basket

On May 10, 2025 By CarynIn Craft

I attended a double-walled basket class taught by my wonderful weaving neighbor. I spent a morning winding #2 reed round and round, happily seeing how to turn at the top, and finish off the bottom. It is my first double walled basket, but I have ideas on how I would do different shaping. One of the other students had a beautiful curve to the sides of her basket!