Seeing the wood for the trees and all that. I suppose doing something easily and effectively is the aim with most tasks. So when something goes repeatedly wrong and seems hard work there must be something I'm missing.
I have just been finishing a small creel for a friend who needs it for gathering kindling for the fire. It is the type with a curved rather than flat base. I have made these before but usually find it hard work fixing the the uprights into a curve for the base. The curve is okay but often they will kink as they are inserted into the weave. Having struggled away with this it finally struck me to kink the end of the rod to be inserted, then knock it in with the rapping iron. Obvious really and I am sure everyone else does this but it is news to me.
I also started twisting the willow earlier at the top knot stage rather than further on in the final randing. Found some photos in the Scottish Basketmakers' Circle archive of this kind of work. Conserving the history of our crafts is important.
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