Weave a colorful coil yarn or raffia basket. Send your
delicious Purim mishloach monos treats in these
simple wrap and stitch craft baskets. These baskets are a
perfect homemade touch when sending small wine bottles,
candies, fruits and nuts. The added plus is educational and
esthetic. Use for a Shavuos centerpiece to remind us of the
bikurim. Use for Tu Bishvat to display the fruits of
Eretz Yisroel, and to show and tell Parshas Shmos to
small children. Or just for kitchen decorations. So, if you
don't get to your basket weaving this Purim, you have
another year and other opportunities.
Basket weaving is in the family of textile arts. It is an
ancient craft-art form basic to human civilization. When we
think of baskets mentioned in the Torah, we think of Moshe
put in the basket tarred on the outside by his mother,
Yocheved, to save him from the Egyptian decree of death by
drowning. Shavuos brings to mind the mitzva of
bikurim -- the bringing of the first fruits of the
seven species, each one brought in a separate basket. The
well off brought baskets of gold and silver, which they
reclaimed, while the poor brought baskets woven of willow,
which they donated. These baskets were placed on the
shoulder as the donor recited the verses testifying to
Hashem's kindness.
Children from about ten years and up can do a coil basket.
They will need help getting started. But once the base of
the basket is woven with the help of an adult or teenager,
they will be able to take off on their own. Younger children
can watch and do a few coils and stitches with help and
supervision.
Basket weaving is relaxing and therapeutic. It keeps the
hands and mind busy while focusing on the ever enlarging
circular form of the basket. In its own way it is
satisfying, like baking bread. Most likely, you will need to
do at least one trial basket to get the technique down.
After, the hand and brain adjust to the pattern and the
count, the stitches become automatic and enjoyable. These
baskets can be as small as the size of a custard cup that
fits in the palm of the hand or as large as you like. The
baskets should be started a good week before Purim because
each one can take an hour or longer.
The simple coil method of basket making is similar to making
a coil ceramic pot. We wrap clay rope coils to make a flat
base and then layer them one on top of each other until the
desired height is reached. With a coil basket, we use rope
or cord with wrapped raffia or yarn held in place with a
connecting stitch to the previous row after every four or
more wraps.
MATERIALS (for one basket)
1 yard of rope or thick cord, natural or synthetic fiber
Yarn, rafia or colored plastic string
Large tapestry needle (#16)
Scissors
DIRECTIONS
Start with a 12 or 24 inch piece of yarn. Cut tip at angle.
Thread the needle at the far end.
Bend yarn back two inches at top. Place on top end of rope
(core) and hold the two materials together.
Using the extension of the yarn, tightly wrap the two inch
piece together with the rope. Start from where yarn bends
until the two inches are covered.
Bend the core into a loop. Wrap yarn around core four
times.
Pull needle through center of core loop four times.
Continue to wrap yarn four times around rope and insert
needle in center hole until you have two rows of wrapped
rope.
Continue wrapping four and stitching one, but do not stitch
into the center of the loop. Bind the two outer coils
together.
Gradually coil the rope to form the flat bottom of the
basket. The diameter of the circle will determine the size
of the basket.
As you increase the number of rows, increase the number of
wraps to six or eight before binding the coils with a
stitch.
Tie on more yarn (twelve or twenty-four inch pieces) as you
go along. Add on different colors or mix yarn and raffia if
desired.
Large baskets can be made by tapering the ends of the old
and the new core (rope) pieces together. Overlap at least
two inches.
To finish basket, tape end of core, tuck in and wrap
securely with yarn. Stitch with thread if needed.
Optional: Cut a length of rope for a handle. Wrap with yarn
and sew both ends securely to the rim of the basket.
