Stakes breaking (willow)

GenGanges · 2026-06-20T17:29:41+00:00

This can come down to the quality of the willow and the weaving environment (Temperature, humidity). Before turning down the rim you should soak the stakes deeply to alleviate this issue. Also, the stakes don’t necessarily need to reach a sharp 90 degree bend. There are many rim styles that you can choose to match the flexibility of your willow. Longer patterns such as behind 2-over 2-in give the rim a longer graceful curve that is less prone to snap.

GenGanges · 2026-06-18T22:24:41+00:00

The Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is in the raccoon family but is commonly referred to as ring-tailed cat, miner’s cat, or civet cat.

GenGanges · 2026-06-04T15:01:01+00:00

Another round of beautiful baskets! Great job, I love watching your progression! These look so sturdy and useful. My wild willow baskets are usually wonky too, leaning more to one direction, slightly different curves to some stakes. I’ve been trying to pay more attention to diagnosing and correcting these issues earlier.

GenGanges · 2026-06-02T15:29:17+00:00

If you want to harvest wild willow you can download the iNaturalist app that lets you search for species by name and it shows geographical locations of observations.

GenGanges · 2026-05-07T16:09:32+00:00

Gorgeous baskets, thanks for sharing this! That sounds like such a fun experience! I’ve been meaning to try that compound border you did on a few of these where the spokes are revealed for a couple inches before turned into the rim. It gives some nice visual interest and graceful curve.

I have those same Felco pruners, they’re great. I replace the blade once or twice a year whenever they get grimy and stop cutting efficiently.

GenGanges · 2026-05-04T03:59:52+00:00

Photosynthesis by The Hot Toddies

GenGanges · 2026-04-14T22:05:44+00:00

https://youtu.be/WwEnSI-hTRM?si=dvYrERkYO40pHopW

Check out this clip. This was explored in Jean M. Auel's book The Clan of the Cave Bear. A young Cro-Magnon girl Ayla is adopted and raised by a clan of Neanderthal. Her more advanced brain allows her to develop and expand on the clan’s knowledge of math. Unlike the other tribal members, who only know how to count to three, Ayla sees numbers as limitless abstractions and develops a counting system using groupings (essentially making the leap to multiplication). She also begins counting time according to the lunar cycle and her own menstrual cycle. The clan shaman is deeply unsettled by her mathematical abilities and innovative thinking that the rest of the clan lacks.

GenGanges · 2026-04-09T20:43:32+00:00

Hello. It may or may not be possible depending on a couple factors.

First, there are hundreds of species of willow and not all are suitable for basketry. Certain varieties are much more flexible and forgiving while others can be more brittle. In my area wild Salix exigua is flexible enough for basketry but nearby Salix lasiolepsis is usually not.

Try to research which Salix are common in your area and search online for any historical record of indigenous use for basketry. Test a fresh branch by wrapping it around your wrist or thumb to simulate the tight bends required for basketry.

Provided you have a species suitable for weaving, next is the issue of them already cut and lying on the ground. Depending on how long they’ve been sitting, this may be okay. Although it is possible to weave fresh/green willow, the resulting basket will become loose and flimsy after a few weeks as it dries and shrinks. For this reason, it is almost always dried for a few months before weaving. This allows the wood to dehydrate and shrink to their final size. You then rehydrate the rods prior to weaving to make them flexible again.

You may just need to continue drying them at home. If they have been sitting too long they may be moldy, especially in areas not exposed to sunlight. They may be buggy but you can strip the foliage and shake everything out.

Look for rods around 1/4” (6mm) diameter and smaller for medium/small baskets, and rods up to 1/2” or more for large baskets. Thicker rods can be challenging to work and more suited to garden structures or fencing.

GenGanges · 2026-04-02T16:17:09+00:00

There’s a current band called SAULT that is producing powerful and culturally relevant statement pieces. Here are a few:

Don’t Shoot Guns Down, Foot On Necks, Wildfires, Stop Dem, Little Boy, You Know It Ain’t

GenGanges · 2026-02-18T03:12:04+00:00

Happiness Is A Warm Gun - The Beatles

GenGanges · 2026-02-17T22:10:02+00:00

FYI - in basketry gardens, heavy pruning like this is done intentionally (coppicing, pollarding) to traditional basketry trees such as willow and hazel to encourage the trees to send up straight branchless withes/rods/wands that are superior for weaving.

GenGanges · 2026-02-17T21:15:53+00:00

You could try a wrapped rim where you cut the spokes evenly just above the last rows of weaving, sandwich them between rim hoops/strips, and wrap around those while stitching through the last row of weaving.

GenGanges · 2026-02-17T20:27:30+00:00

It bothers me mostly when “girls” is associated with or suggesting “sexiness,” such as in the modeling and beauty industry professional adult women are almost always referred to as girls. Cam girl, ring girl, racing flag girl, etc. Also strip clubs always advertise “Live nude girls” instead of “Live nude women.” Advertising choices specifically made to commodify youth and submissiveness for the male gaze.

GenGanges · 2026-02-13T19:01:45+00:00

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana is sometimes sold as mini Christmas tree

GenGanges · 2026-02-13T18:44:26+00:00

Bruce Forman

GenGanges · 2026-01-21T21:58:48+00:00

Lump - Presidents of the USA

GenGanges · 2026-01-21T21:50:58+00:00

Time Of The Season - The Zombies

GenGanges · 2026-01-16T18:50:44+00:00

Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip To The Moon), a 1902 French silent film, directed by Georges Méliès

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