#122--5.5" x 5.5"--18" circumference
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Making the basket
Once the time-consuming harvest and processing are done, the basket can be made. If it is done right after harvest, the bark can be folded by holding it over a heat source--a hot, but not flaming, coal of a wood fire is best. If using dried bark, I hold it over steam to shape it. The bark is very sensitive to both heat and water so only a few seconds is needed.
Once formed, the basket is secured with clothespins. A strip of bark is added to the rim and a cranberry stem goes over it. The basket is then sewn with the spruce root. I use a leather punch to make the holes, but an awl or a sharpened nail can be used.
Gathering the other materials
The rim around the top of the basket is highbush cranberry stem which is sewn with spruce root. I usually split the cranberry stem once and the spruce root once or twice. It is easier to peel them in the spring, but it can be done later. Once they are peeled and split, I secure the ends to let them dry in a circle. The spruce root can be kept in a bowl of water to keep it flexible. Even if it is twisted it will straighten out when it is pulled taut while making the basket.
Gathering and processing the materials is much more time consuming than the actual making of the basket.
Harvesting the bark
The first step is to gather the materials at the right time of the year. The bark must be harvested in the late spring/early summer to avoid damaging the tree. The outer bark separates easily from the inner bark at this time. It is the inner bark that transport all of the nutrients and water to the tree. Later in the summer the inner bark will stick to the outer and it will kill the tree if the bark is removed then. I am fortunate to have several acres at my disposal that are going to be cleared in the future.
Once harvested, the bark can be used immediately or stored for later use. Since the harvest period can be short. I process and dry most of my bark to use later. In the photo above the bark on the left is shown as it comes from the tree. On the right is bark once it is cut and clamped.
Since bark will ripple and curl if it dries unattended to, the first step is to cut it into usable pieces. The places where little branches have been will form bumpy spots on the bark and distort it so that will not lay flat. Also, any areas where insects or woodpeckers have damaged it must be cut out as they will not look good when the basket is made. The inside should be as blemish-free as possible. It is then cut into squares or rectangles, stacked and clamped or weighted so that it will stay flat and not curl.
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