"Weavers Words" Vol. 1 Iss. 36 Compiled By David Collins Owned By Weavers Everywhere Date Sent August 09, 1997 Subscribers 273 Back Issues http//www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/5998/ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject Weaver's Words Date Tue, 5 Aug 1997 195727 -0500 From mlower@mail.isbe.accessus.net (Mindy Lower) To davidc@iei.net Hi Everyone, Another thanks David for taking the time to put this together. I have just finished a 16"oval Nantucket with double swing handles. I need to find some 14 gauge brass E pins that are 2 inches long to put handles on with. I like to clip off the pins and peen them over tiny brass washers instead of using nuts and bolts. So far I have been able to find only 1 1/2" which are a little short when I use a bone knob and bone washer on the handle. Does anyone know of a place that might carry this unusual size? To Annette You can call Martha Wetherbee at the Basketshop at 603-286-8927 for a catalog, or write her at 171 Eastman Hill Road, Sanbornton, NH 03269. She also has a website at www.basketshop.com To Lynne I ordered my pattern for the Noah's Ark (also called The Promise) from Diane Langston at Di's Heavenly Treasures at 5496 Davis Lane, Spring Hope, NC 27882. Her phone # is 919-478-3804. The animals she sells for the ark are very nice and really set it off. To Amanda P. I only live a half hour from you and often go through Oregon. Do you have an address where you show your baskets? Email me if you do. Happy weaving, Mindy Lanark, IL http//isbe.accessus.net/~mlower/SimpleBaskets.html @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject Re "Weavers Words" V.1 I.35 Date Tue, 5 Aug 1997 233415 -0400 (EDT) From CMGARDNER@aol.com To davidc@iei.net Hi everyone... David, I know we all want to wish you baskets full of good wishes and hope you are feeling better. We all appreciate what you do for us..keeping this newsletter going. Thanks so much...and get well real soon! Thanks to Annetta and Nancy about what judges will look for. I have never entered anything (except bread, years ago)...so this is sort of exciting for me. I have been trying to dream up an exciting basket to make. I don't follow patterns much, so I never know what I am going to end up with. The baskets sorts of creates itself as I weave. Anyway, I'd better think of something soon since the fair is in a few weeks. Joy Moody....can you tell me about your basket graphic? I am always looking for basket graphics, but so far can't find anything in clip art. For the last few days, I have not been able to retrieve baskets, etc. Anyone else have problems? About music...I just bought the most beautiful sounding tape I have ever hard! Got to share this with you. It's by Joanne Shenandoah, an Irioquois. She has the clearest, most wonderful voice I have ever heard. The tape or CD is called 'Matriarch" Iroquois women's songs. Her songs are soft and gentle..excellent to weave by. Can't listen without getting teary eyed..it's so pretty. Hope some of you might enjoy this. One more thing...if anyone ever gets to the Reno area..be sure to let me know. Our guild meets on the 1st Thursday of each month..love to have you as guests. Got to go weave...something! Molly (in hot August Nevada) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject THIS AND THAT Date 06 AUG 97 012054 EST From PAT STEINMETZ To Hi Everyone, David - Glad to hear that you are home again. Hopefully you have seen the lasts of hospitals for a while. Connie Curran - I've said it before, and I'll say it again, you have a heart of gold. Great job! You go girl!!! Lora Khoury My coworkers call my baskets "Steinberger" baskets. We have a large turnover in our department. When anyone leaves we always have a going away party. They always ask me to make a basket that can be filled with goodies for the person who is leaving. This has become such a tradition that now the person who is leaving will actually request a specific basket as a gift. I don't mind. I would rather give a basket that I know they will like as apposed to one that the have no use for. Susa Waite - You didn't really offer to photocopy something that has a copyright did you? Kathleen Jespersen - Dilled greenbean? Sounds great. My husband has a large garden and we are now eating greenbeans every night for dinner. He always over plants. We could, and sometimes do, feed the whole neighborhood from his garden. He also makes black raspberry jam and wonderful apple pies. I am blessed. Lora Khoury - Almost forgot, I love the new chairs on your porch. They look so inviting. I had better get back to work. Happy weaving, Pat in Indy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject Martha Wetherbee catalog Date Wed, 06 Aug 1997 164852 -0400 From Susan Waite To davidc@iei.net Annetta Kraayeveld... You can get a basketshop catalog from martha Wetherbee at www.basketshop.com. slw@aeneas.net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject Weavers Words Date Wed, 06 Aug 1997 204838 -0600 From ANDREA & TOM OKEEFE Organization SAVANNAH HOUSE To davidc@iei.net, coltsfan@usa.net Hello Everyone from Palm Island - I've been enjoying reading everyone's comments in Weavers Words - thanks to you, David. For Linda Marshall I was so sorry to hear about your damage and loss of chicks. I know they are very valuable. I've been experimenting with the feathers. I dyed some Egyptian Red with basketry dye and they came out beautiful - a lovely deep wine color. Thank you for sending them. To anyone familiar with Nantucket Island - My basketry teacher, Linda Faulkner if going to Nantucket Island the weekend after Labor Day. Does anyone have any helpful information on where she can go to see the best Nantucket Lightship baskets? She also wants to buy some scrimshaw and other supplies. I hope you all are enjoying your summer weather. We're starting to look forward to winter so we can once again sit outside. It's been 95 degrees and very humid for months now and the mosquitoes are extra hungry and plentiful this year. Andrea Palm Island, FL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject New member Date Thu, 7 Aug 1997 101546 -0400 (EDT) From "Jane A. Wilson" To davidc@iei.net Hello everyone. I've recently subscribed to weavers' words since I missed Shirley Reed's list so much. I like David's format and reading everyone's comments is fun and informative. I sent the following tip to Baskets, Etc. but decided to share with you too. Keeping #0,1,2,3 round reed in order I read a tip from someone in Shirley's list serve to hang a hank of round reed from the ceiling and pull out a strand at the time. I was not able to suspend a hank from the ceiling but adapted that idea. First, wind a strong rubber band an inch or two from the end of the hank. Next attach pop-it pony tail holders at 36" intervals to give a good estimate of how long the strands are and to help keep them in order. Secure the end of the hank to a table leg (for small legged tables, use another pony tail holder to stretch around the leg and hank in the vicinity of the rubber band. Now you can uncoil the hank along the floor and starting at the end opposite the rubber band, pull out the strands one at the time. I leave the hank attached to the table leg and it will coil back up out of the way under the table until more round reed is needed. As the hank depletes, readjust the pop-its and rubber band for the smaller diameter. This works well for me. All the talk about round reed is interesting. I am making a potato basket working in a medium small deer antler as one of the handles. My friend's husband shot the deer so she wants an artistic keepsake. Yesterday I drilled the holes to run the round reed through but that is as far as I have gotten. Any suggestions for natural materials to include? I plan to use some philodendron sheaths and sea grass but am open to other suggestions. Jane A. Wilson Hodges, SC Jane A. Wilson 104 North Hills Court Hodges, SC 29653-9167 (864) 229-6239 janeawilson@greenwood.net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject Re "Weavers Words" V.1 I.35 Date Thu, 07 Aug 1997 080656 -0700 From Amanda To davidc@iei.net Hello fellow weavers! First, would like to tell Connie thanks for helping with the issues. Secondly, David, hope you are feeling better. It is no fun being in the hospital, that is for sure. I am looking for some Christmas ornament patters. Was wondering if anyone had a source for them. Happy Weaving ! Amanda Popelka ******************************************************** Mandy's Country Playhouse Mandy's Hopechest mandy@cin.net Oregon, Illinois ******************************************************** @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject Fw gardening tips Date Thu, 7 Aug 1997 190332 -0500 From "Ronald Harrison" To Have seen questions about kudzu. Thought these might "answer" some of them! Bobbie Gardening Tips from Down South How to Grow Kudzu All you beginning gardeners out there might want to consider growing kudzu as a fine way to launch out into the great adventure of gardening in the south. Kudzu, for those of you not already familiar with it, is a hardy perennial that can be grown quite well by the beginner who observes these few simple rules Choosing a Plot: Kudzu can be grown almost anywhere, so site selection is not the problem it is with some other finicky plants like strawberries. Although kudzu will grow quite well on cement, for best result you should select an area having at least some dirt. To avoid possible lawsuits, it is advisable to plant well away from your neighbors house, unless, of course, you don't get along well with your neighbor anyway. Preparing the Soil: Go out and stomp on the soil for a while just to get its attention and to prepare it for kudzu. Deciding When to Plant: Kudzu should always be planted at night. If kudzu is planted during daylight hours, angry neighbors might see you and begin throwing rocks at you. Selecting the Proper Fertilizer: The best fertilizer I have discovered for kudzu is 40 weight non-detergent motor oil. Kudzu actually doesn't need anything to help it grow, but the motor oil helps to prevent scraping the underside of the tender leaves when the kudzu starts its rapid growth. It also cuts down on the friction and lessens the danger of fire when the kudzu really starts to move. Change oil once every thousand feet or every two weeks which ever comes first. Mulching the Plants: Contrary to what may be told by the Extension Service, kudzu can profit from a good mulch. I have found that a heavy mulch for the young plants produces a hardier crop. For best results, as soon as the young shoots begin to appear, cover kudzu with concrete blocks. Although this causes a temporary setback, your kudzu will accept this mulch as a challenge and will reward you with redoubled determination in the long run. Organic or Chemical Gardening: Kudzu is ideal for either the organic gardener or for those who prefer to use chemicals to ward off garden pests. Kudzu is oblivious to both chemicals and pests. Therefore, you can grow organically and let the pests get out of the way of the kudzu as best they can, or you can spray any commercial poison directly on your crop. Your decision depends on how much you enjoy killing bugs. The kudzu will not mind either way. Crop Rotation: Many gardeners are understandably concerned that growing the same crop year after year will deplete the soil. If you desire to change from kudzu to some other plant next year, now is the time to begin preparations. Right now, before the growing season has reached its peak, you should list your house and lot with a reputable real estate agent and begin making plans to move elsewhere. Your chances of selling will be better now than they will be later in the year, when it may be difficult for a prospective buyer to realize that underneath those lush green vines stands an adorable three-bedroom house. (ed I didn't know what Kudzu was, so the submitter provided the following information.) From "The American Heritage Dictionary" =========================================================================== Kudzu (kood'zoo) n. A vine, Pueraria lobata, native to Japan, having compound leaves and clusters of reddish purple flowers and grown for fodder and foliage. =========================================================================== Kudzu was introduced to Georgia earlier this century in an attempt to provide improved fodder for cattle. It worked ALL TOO WELL. Cattle do love kudzu but not nearly as much as kudzu loves Georgia. Georgia provides nearly ideal climate and growing conditions for this rapid growing and hardy perennial (that's "hardy", as in calling nuclear weapons "explosive"). People have been known to leave home on vacation down here only to return a week later to find cars and other LARGE objects buried under it's lush greener. It climbs telephone poles and crosses wires. It's eradication is a major expense to utility companies. The City of Atlanta has used bulldozers to dig up the tubers in vacant lots. It's resistant to most "safe" chemicals although 2,4,D has some effect if used frequently enough. It's sometimes call "yard-a-night" down here because that's how fast it seems to grow. The only question seems to be whether the "yard" referred to is that of "3 feet" or that of "front and back". Rumor has it that some of the roads in the more rural areas don't get enough traffic and will be covered by kudzu after a long holiday weekend. It is a very pretty vine in early spring and summer. It's broad leaves and flowers are quite attractive until you start to realize that the dead stick, that it's sunning itself on, use to be a huge pine tree. In the winter, the first hard frost turns kudzu into tons of ugly brown leaves and thick vines. It becomes a real eyesore and possibly a fire hazard although I haven't heard of any actual kudzu fires. The plant regrows new vines from the ground up every year, so you can see it's growth rate must be phenomenal. I understand that the Japanese make a highly regarded form of tofu from kudzu tubers. It is supposed to be prized for it's nutty flavor (soy tofu is rather bland). The Japanese cannot produce enough to meet their own demand and think we're NUTS for trying to eliminate it. I haven't been able to confirm this use for kudzu, but, if true, they may well be right. We've got plenty of hungry people and LOTS of kudzu! The existence of kudzu in a neighborhood has been known to, adversely, affect property values. The threat of planting kudzu in someone's yard is generally considered an extreme case of "fight'en words", potentially followed by "justifiable homicide". Regardless, you can still obtain kudzu seeds from several major seed companies who list it as a "hardy ornamental perennial". If understatement was a crime they'd be history. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: weaver's words Date: Fri, 08 Aug 1997 06:55:39 -0700 From: Terri Brenner To: davidc@iei.net Hi Everyone! For Diane: I learned to make the colorful rib baskets from Judy Wilson. She is no longer teaching these baskets. She's into waxed linen miniatures now. When I took the class from her we actually started with just the two hoops, wove the god's eye, inserted ribs, etc. She gave us some pictures to show rib placement, but there were no written instructions. I went hope and wrote down everything I could remember. Her techniques and hints were wonderful. She used to make up kits where she'd have the ribs inserted already and maybe 20 rows woven (this is #00 round reed so that's only about 2". Then she had written directions for finishing the weaving, changing colors, etc. The larger baskets are made with 7-8 colors. The rim hoop is round, the handle hoop is oval and the ribs are sized to give it a fanny look. If you email me your address, I'd be glad to send you a picture or if you look in Lynn Siler's Handmade Basket book (I think this is the one...it's the book with the Indian Urn basket on the front) there is a picture in there with a ribbed basket sitting on the floor. Colors are golds and browns. I think she made this one before she got into using lots of colors. I don't know how to reach Judy...maybe someone on this list knows. She teaches at the conventions, so you might look in one of the booklets if you have one. Perhaps you could contact her and see if she'd be willing to send you some instructions. Does anyone know where I can get a small supply of birch bark? The only thing I can find in catalogs is Alaskan birch bark and you have to buy a pound and it's quite expensive. I just want a small amount to try my hand at some miniatures. I still have some red cedar and elm bark coiled up and haven't worked up the nerve to try splitting it! Terri Brenner Cincinnati, OH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Re: Weavers Words v1 i30 Date: Sat, 09 Aug 1997 02:30:25 EDT From: froggestow@juno.com (Roberta R Comstock) To: davidc@iei.net Re: "Weavers Words" Vol. 1 Iss. 30 Kim Renich: Thanks for the information about the Internet "directory assistance". I've been doing email for years, but am new to web-surfing. I'm sure it will be a great help to me! Judith Olney: Your insurance discussion was also very helpful. It had never occurred to me to look into a rider on my household policy. Lois Keener: Regarding t-pins: Have you ever used U-pins? If your reed isn't too wide, they go over it rather than through it. We used them in the wreath project at the first local guild meeting I attended (last month). The project list called them 'fern pins'. When I went shopping for them at Hobby Lobby, the clerk I asked said they were 'U-pins'. The bags on the shelf called them 'floral pins' and 'greening pins' (different brands). They aren't exactly U-shaped, but generally so, with a little kink in the bend. Not as sharp as t-pins, but plenty sharp enough for Styrofoam or cardboard. Bert Comstock, Independence, MO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: thoughts of possible interest Date: Sat, 9 Aug 1997 11:16:40 -0400 From: dgatz@sricboces.org (Dolores J. Gatz) To: davidc@iei.net Hi Everyone, I was showing Judy Flanders a disk I have of pictures I took while on vacation. She enjoyed then so much she told me to do another write up for others that may not know about it yet. Mystic Photo Labs is offering two ways of enjoying your photos when developing a roll of 35mm film with them for an additional $4.95. They will put the photos to disk that can be use on win 3.1, win95, or mac. It takes about a week for developing and return mail. However, if you don't wish to wait you can pick them up off the internet. They will email you with a order secure access code when they are complete and you can go to the internet at http://www.mysticcolorlab.com to down load your photos to disk or your machine. They store the order online for 30 days. No one else will see your photos unless you give them your access code. No special software is needed. Everything you need to view and work with your photos is on the Mystic PC Photos floppy disk. It's also compatible with most major software programs. So you can cut and paste your photos into your documents. You can also email the photos to friend or relatives. For more information you can go to http://www.mysticcolorlab.com or call 1-800-367-6061. Another way that I enjoy my photos is that I purchase at any photo shop self stick postcards. You peal off the back and attach to your photo. I've done this with contacting various basket people and always get complements on my cards. My favorite is to send someone a photo of themselves with this method. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: general Date: Sat, 09 Aug 1997 11:10:16 -0500 From: monast@iquest.net To: davidc@iei.net Just back from my son's college freshman orientation. The "ole basketweaving joke is alive and well and being perpetuated with vigor. To some I did say I WAS a basketweaver by trade and just got blank stares. To Annetta K. and her quotation by St. Francis of Assisi: Thank you for the reminder. It sooo sums up the thoughts I would like others to understand about my love of working with my hands to create. To Judy Wilson of the Judy Wilson Buttock Basket Fame: The techniques I learned from taking your class years ago should be the standard by which ALL rib baskets are taught. Whenever doing ribbed baskets - melon or buttock or antler (asymetrical) her techniques produce the BEST results. I have tried to re-teach others away from the "just do whatever you have to" to fill it in philosophy. Gotta go do the mother thing. Back to school is fast approaching for us. One freshman in college, one freshman in high school and one just freshman (1st grade). Being all boys, we are most concerned about NEW SHOES. Waiting for rain in Yorktown In. Kristin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.