Basket #6: asymmetrical harvest basket

Basket #6 -- Asymmetrical harvest basket with braided handle. 

Slung over one arm, the high back catches produce while the low front makes it easy to dump the harvest onto a work table or into a larger container.

Red-osier dogwood is not like willow. This material is less pliable, slippery, and skins easily. I believe I also over soaked it, which made it brittle and may have contributed to looser than normal bark.

The base started out OK, but I kept splitting weavers. 

Several weavers split as I weaved the base. The tight spacing was too much probably from soaking the fresh rods. Very few of the rods on the outer edge broke because I worked more loosely as I adjusted to the material.

The uprights form the frame of the basket walls. Any break forms a weak spot in the basket but the worst thing to break is the frame.

I also had trouble with the uprights. Rather than bend, the they broke, which surprised me because before harvesting I tested several and they all bent at 90° angles. That's how I determined keeping freshly harvested rods in water was a mistake -- they must have become waterlogged to the point of breaking when bent.  

I removed the broken uprights, trimmed them, then re-inserted. I then gradually bent the uprights into a round shape and started weaving. I expected to make a cylindrical basket but wound up with a flattened oval. 

It pained me to cut the broken parts of the uprights, which can be difficult to insert into the base. Several rods peeled when I inserted them into the base, which was frustrating. Trimming shortened my basket and handle by several inches. I almost gave up.

Going with the flow, working around the tension, and being persistent resulted in an unexpected yet beautiful shape. My technique is still rough and I can't quite get a consistently tight weave, but the process and end result make me happy, so that's good enough.

Next I'll try using the red-osier dogwood to accent a willow basket. I think the contrasting colors will be amazing together.

Despite the spit rods and having to hassle with the uprights, I'm satisfied with this basket.