Basket 11: deep harvester

 Basket #11 -- deep harvester, buff willow and nine bark with French randing walls and twisted handle.

This is the last basket I made in Northeast Washington, where I learned to make baskets.

I started this basket some time ago, but stopped because I'm finding the top border problematic. Today I took a break from packing and cleaning to finish this project. As with my previous baskets, I love the body and handle, but the top border is terrible! I'm also still struggling to keep the French randing in order. But this basket is strong and functional!

The waling at the bottom uses nine bark, which is a material I harvested on the Colville National Forest. I love the contrast between the smooth buff willow and the rough peeling nine bark.

What I'm most proud of is the staggered appearance of the French randing walls. I exaggerated the spacing and overlap to produce a spiraled wall with alternating loose and tight spacing. I'm also in love with the contrast between the smooth buff willow walls and the messy nine bark 3-rod waling trim.

Alternate wide and tight spacing of French randing walls made a spiral pattern in this basket.

I've packed up all my materials and tools, but I have enough nine bark and red osier dogwood to trim a few more baskets. I'm excited to see what raw materials I'll find in the Sacramento area as I continue to explore basketry and start a new chapter in my life.