Basket Case

I'm a big fan of basket weaving (here, here, here and here). It's not something I want to do on my own - I definitely don't need to buy yet more supplies for yet another craft - but I love when the Guild or SCIART holds a workshop.

  

Today's offering was a random-weave basket workshop. The "random" was kind of scary - no directions, no pattern, no "you should's" - just a "here's the materials" and "do what you want." 

  
You don't realize how hard that is, especially for a bunch of weavers, crocheters and knitters who are used to following patterns and specific directions, until you've got the reeds in your hands and you think "now what?"
 
Turns out, you just start at the top and let the basket tell you what it wants to be. We all managed to have fun once we got going. I really like the interior of my basket (above), although I'm not that crazy about the outside.
 
Viewed bottoms-up, you can appreciate how really random this thing is. What do you think? A bird's nest beehive?
 
All the baskets were unique - different shapes, colors, materials, and sizes. (Click any image to see it bigger.)
 

Even one almost perfectly round basket (center right, below) that is 'random' because the weaver "didn't plan it out beforehand." 

 

I'm not sure random-weave is my thing - I like following patterns - but I very much enjoyed the process, the sunshine and hanging out with my fellow weavers. Plus I have a pretty little basket to remind me that not everything needs to be planned in advance. Random is good.