"Weavers Words" Vol. 2 Iss. 14 Compiled By: David Collins Snail Mail: 408 North Devon Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 Owned By: Weavers Everywhere Date Sent: July 02, 1998 Subscribers: 651 {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} ***IMPORTANT INFORMATION*** ***PLEASE READ BEFORE PRINTING*** 1.) Highlight entire issue. 2.) Click copy. 3.) Paste issue into a word processor of your choosing. 4.) Now Print. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} +++++Individual Weaver's Words Pages+++++ Of course you can always find links to each individual page on Weaver's Words home page (http://www.iei.net/~davidc/). Weaver's Words Home Page: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/ Weaver's Words Basketry Links: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/basket.htm Weaver's Words Favorite Links & Stuff: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/cool.htm Weaver's Words Free Postcard Page: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/postcard.html Weaver's Words Chat Room: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/chitchat.html Weaver's Words Classifieds: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/classifieds.html Weaver's Words Guestbook: ---http://www.lpage.com/wgb/wgbsign.dbm?owner=Basketry Weaver's Words Basketry Wallpaper Page: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/graphics/graphics.html Weaver's Words Basketry Clip Art Page 1: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/graphics/clipart.html http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi/mb83941 Weaver's Words Bulletin Board: ---http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi/mb83941 Weaver's Words Bulletin Free Banner Service: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/banner.html Weaver's Words Basketry Dictionary: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/dictionary.htm {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Hi Everyone, Just thought I would remind everyone about Weaver's Words Basketry Classifieds (http://www.iei.net/~davidc/classifieds.html). Check out the items already there or post your items for free. I have also started an online basketry dictionary (http://www.iei.net/~davidc/dictionary.htm). Check it out and help add some words with definitions. Take Care, David davidc@iei.net {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 13 Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 11:20:24 +0000 From: Pamela Woodbury To: David Collins Hi, I have to comment on Lois' letter regarding patterns on red paper. Unlike Lois I buy all my patterns at conventions or basket gatherings so I actually see the pattern before I purchase it. I refuse to buy a pattern that is on red paper. I do not have very good eyes and it hurts my eyes so bad to try and read them that I cannot. My husband works where there is a really good copy machine that will copy red paper and we now have a scanner and it will scan red paper so I could copy patterns on red paper if I chose to, but I have just refused to buy them instead. I have sent previously patterns to work with my husband to run on white paper so that I could read it, but I find it easier not to buy the pattern on red paper. Just a reminder to people putting their patterns on red paper a friend of mine a few years ago ran out of her patterns at a convention and needed more, but she had them on red paper and the copy machine at the hotel could not copy the red paper so she was out of luck on making more copies to sell. Pam {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 12 Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 18:09:02 EDT From: froggestow@juno.com (Roberta R Comstock) To: davidc@iei.net References: 1 "Weavers Words" Vol. 2 Iss. 12 Donna - Your method for weaving veneer splints is very interesting and sounds as if it will be a good one to use. Long winded if fine with me, especially when it's such good information. Kay - It sounds as if Sketch Day at the Pond was a grand success. What a wonderful event! Anna D. - The pine needle basket class I took last year (taught by Mary Hetmansperger) was coiling, sewn with raffia. The needles were soaked before using them, but the raffia was dry. You can start a coil with needles or work around a center starting ring such as a slice of black walnut or a ring with teneriff lace already worked on it. Shaping can go in any direction you like. Pam/OH - Good luck to your son & daughter-in-law getting rid of those ants! Ants generally live in colonies where only the queen lays eggs. They may have ant workers from a colony trying to move eggs or larvae. If they are big black ants, they may be carpenter ants. The colony could be in the wood of the house. It might be a good idea to get the landlord to have an exterminator inspect the house for evidence of carpenter ants. They can be almost as destructive as termites if not stopped. We had a small colony of them in the wood on the back of our house several years ago where we tore off a large deck in preparation for adding on the new garage. I was able to kill them all with ant poison sprayed onto the exposed damaged area and surrounding boards, but I still get heebie jeebies when I find a carpenter ant in the house. Ugh!. I'd think there would be a market for more nicely made wooden bases and handles. You and your husband might check out what is already available in various catalogs and see how they are priced. Any new styles or variations are sure to attract interest from basketmakers and parts suppliers. Has you husband considered making some unusual base shapes? I'm thinking that I haven't seen anyone making triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal or octagonal bases, or half circles, or thirds of circles (which could be sold in sets). Bases with wooden dividers attached are popular around here. I bought one this weekend that has some ornamental cutouts in the dividers and a lathe-turned handle attached. Some of the choices I saw were made of different woods and priced according to the kind of wood. Hope these ideas are helpful. Bert Comstock Independence, MO {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 13 Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 18:09:02 EDT From: froggestow@juno.com (Roberta R Comstock) To: davidc@iei.net References: 1 "Weavers Words" Vol. 2 Iss. 13 Mary Rooney Snell - We don't get fire ants this far north, but thanks for sharing your ant control tips. I saved them for future reference. We've been watching the news reports of the Florida forest fires alternating with flooding and storm damage in the north east. I hope our members in those areas are surviving with minimal troubles from the current round of natural disasters. We had another huge thunderstorm with high winds last night, but didn't get any of the golf-ball-sized hail that was mentioned in the warnings & have only had a few small tree limbs broken. Power was out for several hours early this morning. Lynn in Indianapolis - Wow! What a great trip to Washington you had! It's really cool that you got so much basket-related activity woven into it. The Dept of Interior Indian Crafts Shop is certainly a gem. When I visited there over 10 years ago I bought a sand painting with 4 frogs. It always delights me to find the shops in the various Federal Agency headquarters buildings and monument sites. A couple of questions: What was on the make-it/take-it table? Do you know where the new Native American museum will be located? Gail Caron - Regional basketry information seems to be very scarce. You might look into local histories or check with county historical societies and museums to see if they have any basketry information. Sometimes, if you can learn which Native American tribes inhabited an area you can look for ethnographic studies by the tribal designation. For more recent history, look into immigration records to see where various groups came from and see what you can find out about basket traditions they may have brought with them from their original homelands. If you find anything specific, I'd like to hear about it, please. Also, please tell us how your first free-hand basket turns out. Lois Keener - If your guild wanted a quickie project for make-it and take-it, how about a simple hot dish mat, ornamental gadget, or braided reed bracelet? My preference for recruiting at demos is to hand out information about my group that includes information about regular meeting times and provides one or more phone numbers of contact people. You can make triple fold handout brochures printed on both sides of an 8.5 by 11 inch page at considerably less expense than what you would spend in postage for a mass mailing. And you wouldn't have to keep track of all those otherwise useless addresses. My SCA group had done this for a number of years at the KC Renaissance Festival and nobody has had an unreasonable amount of calls from it. We also have a newcomers' orientation event soon after the festival, so anyone who thinks they are interested can come see what we do and get further information in person. (That is usually also announced in the brochure we distribute.) From several thousand brochures we usually get about 50 newcomers who show up at the orientation event and maybe 5 or 6 people who actually join and stick around for more than a year. I agree with what you had to say about patterns on colored paper. It is possible to print on colored paper and still have it readable, but less easily copied. There may be 'safety' paper available that has an unobtrusive all-over pattern that doesn't interfere with reading what's printed on it, but shows up black when photocopied (to discourage unauthorized copying). I also agree with your testing suggestions. Well, I had my second split oak experience this weekend. Betty Curry and Michelle Maples (her daughter) were in town to teach a series of 3 oak baskets at the Shawnee Indian Mission historical museum in Fairway, KS (KC metro area) Friday evening and Saturday. The car basket class was full, but I wove the grape lug and the swing-handled pickin basket. Both turned out well and it was wonderful to see Betty & Michelle again. They are excellent teachers. They also had some of their own baskets for sale, but I opted to buy some of their handles and grooved bases for my own reed weaving instead. (That also saved me from trying to decide Which basket to buy among their many styles and sizes.) I also learned that several local basket instructors from the Woven Circle guild (Sandy McCormick, Ann Clark and Paula Harrison) will be teaching workshops at the Mission on many of the Wednesdays and Saturdays from now into early December. Samples of the baskets are on display in the hallway outside the museum shop. In addition to the basket classes, Saturday the 11th of July is Forgotten Skills Day, which will also feature a number of other living history activities, including a workshop in historic paper making. Anyone who wants more information may call the museum at 913-262-0867. It still amazes me that there is so much basket activity all around me and that I was completely unaware of most of it until a little over a year ago. It's much easier to keep my enthusiasm up when there are so many other weavers around. That goes for the weavers who write about themselves and their baskets and discoveries in Weavers Words, too! Happy weaving, everyone! Bert Comstock Independence, MO {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Basket Bits Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 18:24:58 EDT From: FosterBA@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Tom Rigterink: The last issue of Basket Bits is Issue 27. Jim says you will get all the issues you still have coming. But since he is working long hours he can not say exactly what the schedule for the next publication will be. Barb Foster Green Bay {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 12 Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 22:06:52 -0400 From: "Susan Tripp" To: "David Collins" Kay Ames: Sorry about the bum web address. Try this one: http://www.arnies.com/book_catalog_list.htm#6 They also have a good price on their wholesale reed, but I haven't tried it yet and can't vouch for the quality. Susan from NY {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Guild questions Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 21:07:57 -0500 From: "Wendy " To: "David Collins" Hi everyone, My name is Wendy and I am currently the president of the Emerald Coast Basket Guild based in Niceville, Florida. What I would like to ask is if anyone has a copy of their bylaws that they could send to me. We are such a small club and we thought that we would never need bylaws, but it has come to pass that they may be necessary. I would also like any information on what the smaller guilds do for presentations, fund raisers, etc. Thanks for any info. David, Thank you for taking the time to put together such a wonderful forum for basketweavers to use and enjoy. I have enjoyed every issue so far. Keep up the good work. Thanks again. Wendy {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: lost email? Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 08:50:46 -0400 From: "Chris Baker" To: David Collins I have just added a webring for basketmakers to my site. A webring is a continuous ring of links, after you go through all the sites in the ring, you end up back at the one you started from. So, the more of us that are in it, the better it will be! Just go to my homepage & you can find the instructions, & form to join. Let me know if any of you have any questions. I have spent the last 3 days setting this up & hope all of you with web sites will join. I will help any of you that may have questions. Chris Baker Days Gone By Augusta, Maine catalog updated 6/30(make sure to hit reload or refresh) join the Basketry Webring {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weavers Words Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 09:16:07 -0400 From: "Chris Baker" To: David Collins I have a tip on the walnut stain & coffeepots: I keep a big 24" by 17" Rubbermaid type container with walnut stain in it & dip my baskets in it then put a wire rack type thing over the container & let the basket drip over it. This works great for most of my baskets & only the really large ones don't fit, and I can usually at least get one end in so I can pour the stain all over it while in the container & I still let dry the same. Because I keep such a large container with the stain, making up a whole pound at once is needed to make enough in the container. I have found that using one of those 30 cup coffee pots like you see at functions will make a whole pot with most of the pound & about half the pot with the rest. I like to make it dark, & if I want to lighten it, I just add water. I also wanted to let everyone know I have added a complete line of wooden handles, bases etc. You can go to the catalog page & click on the link. All handles are the finger jointed or dove tailed if that applies to that type of handle. Also, they are glued with a water resistant glue & most also have a brad nail through the joints. Also, someone emailed me that the handle page link didn't work. I typed the link in wrong but it is fixed now. You should have no problem getting to that page. Chris Baker Days Gone By Augusta, Maine http://w3.ime.net/~cbaker/ catalog updated 6/30 http://w3.ime.net/~cbaker/catalog.htm (make sure to hit reload or refresh) join the Basketry Webring {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weaver's Words Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 15:36:01 -0400 From: David Morningstar To: David Collins Volume 2, Issue 11 and 13 Hi, I have several responses, but would like to know if this ever happens to anyone else. You receive a Weaver's Words and upon finishing it, there are several responses you want to make. AND, when you get ready to make them, you receive another Weaver's Words? I'm not complaining about receiving too many WW's. I just don't understand where the time goes. What happened to May? Anyway, here are some responses to a few issues back. To Pam Duffy-Kope - In response to your traveling and security checks. I'm sure we all have stories. I went to Germany and just couldn't go without my knitting. They wanted to take away my double pointed needles. And, they were bamboo. If I stabbed anyone, they would probably break. Then, there were the times my husband and I traveled to Arizona and Texas. We're Hand Gun /Personal Protection Instructors and had to transport some of our guns for a class. When we declared them, one of the Ticket Agents spelled out the word "gun" to her co-worker rather than let that scary word pass her lips. Traveling can be very interesting in deed. BTW I enjoy lashing the rims on my baskets too. Kristin from Indiana - I know how enticing the homespun yarns can be. That's how I got hooked on spinning. I wanted to have some "funky" yarns to weave into my baskets. Watch out though. I now own seven spinning wheels and have to divide my time between spinning and basketweaving. It's very contagious!! Joy Moody - Thanks for the info on the Country Victorian and Country Home magazines. I'll have to look for them. Pam im Ohio - Re: Ants. I use a product called TERROR, made by Senoret Chemical Co., Inc., St. Louis, MO. I bought my from the local Grain and Feed Store. I'm sure most hardwares would carry it. The cost is maybe $6.00 or so. I bought mine at least 5 or 6 years ago. (Yeah, it's lasted that long.) It's a liquid and comes with small cardboard squares (or you can use cut up index cards). It attracts the ants and they take it back to their nests, killing off the whole nest. Every spring I have a problem in my kitchen. It is very poisonous, so I put it in the back part of my cupboards where my dogs can't get near, and the problem is solved. The package tells you any ants you see walking around should be left alone as they will take the poison back to their nest. But, I'm sorry to say I find it very hard to always let them get away. Good Luck. I know, they are aggravating. Susan Tripp - The information on Baleen Baskets from Bert Comstock was well said and the book that was suggested to you , Baleen Basketry of the North Alaskan Eskimo is excellent. The Baleen Baskets I saw at the Anchorage Historical and Fine Arts Museum were gorgeous. An appointment was set up prior to my trip to go behind the scenes with the Curator. It was amazing how many baskets were not on display. There were hundreds back there. I held one Baleen Basket, maybe 5" in diameter, that had an estimated value over $8,000. Most are rather small, but there are some extremely large ones out there too. The National Bank of Alaska has a very fine collection too. Again, with a prior appointment, I was allowed to go through their cases and handle and photograph all their baskets before they opened. They had a Baleen Basket that was well over 24" in diameter. There was an exhibit going on at the Museum while I was there and an Alaskan basketmaker, who was an Anglo and worked in fish skin and gut, was exhibiting some of her work. (I know that fish skin and gut sounds weird to some, but they were basically art pieces and quite interesting. I have a few slides of her work.) She had one piece in the exhibit where she'd used Baleen. She told me that since she was an Anglo she could weave Baleen in her baskets, but she could not sell them. Only Native Americans are allowed to sell baleen baskets because only Native Americans are allowed to kill the whales and harvest the baleen. I thought I was a Native American because I was born here, but, the law says otherwise. Interesting. Bert Comstock - You seem to do almost everything, go everywhere and are always answering someone's questions or giving helpful hints. Where do you find the Time????? (You must be Martha Stewart in disguise.) We all have only 24 hours in a day and I have always prided myself on being busy, efficient and getting things done fast. But, you seem to out do me!! I'm impressed. I certainly find it interesting when people sign off with their city, state and a report of their weather. Ruthanne Morningstar in Dryden, MI where the weather is a bit cooler today, low 80's, after a hard thunder/lighting storm at 3:15 a.m. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: WW Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 18:24:50 EDT From: Clbeadle@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Hi everyone! Been stockpiling baskets for shows and WW to respond to! Joy and others who were interested in starting a swap... The weavers on the AOL basketmaking board have been doing swaps for a while. It's really easy. You need one person to be in charge. All who wish to participate email that person their address by a certain date. (you gotta have deadlines!) She draws names out of a hat to decide who makes a basket for who, then emails everyone their swap buddy info. No one tells who their swap buddy is! For example: I make a basket for someone, but that person is making one for someone else. We usually have a theme as a guideline, but you don't have to follow it. We add 'tuck ins' in the basket, which often follow the theme too. They vary from candy to candles to notecards, basket stuff, whatever! We put a $10 limit on supplies for the basket. Then there is another deadline for mailing out the baskets. What is really fun for us is that we post when we send out the basket, and then again when we receive ours, describing the basket and the tuckins. It is so much fun! We're just ending our 5th one, waiting for the last baskets to be received. People are already asking about the next one. It is such a great way to get to know each other and share our talents. One important thing is for the person in charge to keep track to make sure everyone gets their baskets, and so that the next person in charge can have the list to make sure people don't get the same swap buddies. It takes some organization, but it's worth it. About dyes, I've used mostly Rit and they hold up fairly well. I think any basket left in the sun will fade with time. Staining with Minwax/min. spirits seems to help keep the color. Leslie, I have made the Chinese Cookie Cooler basket. It's a neat basket, but I found that I needed to add a couple more spokes to help strengthen the sides. Susan, thanks for the tip/website about the books! I hate buying a book, then being disappointed! Janet, a weaver friend of mine in Ohio has an adorable angel ornament pattern. It's quick and easy. If you're interested, email me and I'll give you her address. Kristin in Indiana, where in MI are you moving? Lois, I agree with you on the patterns stuff. It's hard to find good pattern writing! I have lots of patterns that I'll never make again because they are so poorly written! How on earth could they have been tested?! Cindy, speaking of patterns.... I am the person with the large Kleenex basket at Basketpatterns.com! A friend asked me to make one for her years ago, so I just kinda made up a pattern and it's been one of my best sellers ever since! I'm sure there's lots of variations out there too. If I had a problem with someone buying my patterns, then making the baskets and selling them, I have no business selling the patterns in the first place! I don't like the idea of people making copies of the patterns though, but know it will probably happen and there's nothing I can do about it. Keep meaning to get to chat, but always just seem to forget... Well, I have packing to do. I'm going out of town to do a 3 day show over the 4th of July weekend. A good friend from Chicago will be joining me (without husband and kids!), so I'm looking forward to our visit. Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend! Weave happy! Cindy in sunny, not so hot now MI {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weavers Words Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 06:06:42 PDT From: "Alice Edwards" To: davidc@iei.net Hello Everyone, Hope everyone has survived all the wild weather of the last couple of weeks in good shape. We lost power Monday for almost 10 hours, but that's not much compared to the winter storms some of you experienced. Worse storms in the area left lots of wind damage Monday night and Tuesday morning and more power outages, but missed us. Have never seen a lash saver, but think I will order them. Sounds like a good idea. I took 2 of Betty Curry's classes last weekend. Really enjoyed making them. She is a great teacher. But it left me a bit stiff since I am out of shape. Next time I will try to be in better shape! I also bought one of the BIG baskets, a two plate basket. Brought all 3 of them to work this week. Much favorable comment from co-workers. I have never used fiber reactive dyes. They sound more complicated and apparently the process takes longer. I have trouble finding enough time to weave baskets and dye reed now, but maybe later when I get more experience, confidence and time. Nancy Hedburg - Hope you get to do some weaving. It's a problem for me too. I still have one basket left to rim that's been waiting for weeks. I'm hoping to get it finished this weekend while I have extra time off work. That's one reason I like classes. I make time for them, and since I'm not at home I don't get interrupted and so I complete it right then. Jessica Buehlmann - What type of simple baskets do you teach that they can finish in 20 to 35 minutes? Sounds interesting. I don't teach classes, but at the museum where I take classes/workshops they have a forgotten skills day every July. I took the class they offered for forgotten skills day last year and dressed up in an old-time dress. Lots of people stopped to visit, many with kids. After the class, the instructor, one of the women from the museum and I talked about how it would be nice to have something quick and simple kids could do and take home. They will be able to make corn husk dolls again this year. Diana French - I have tried ACP cold water dye, and wasn't very happy with it. Don't know about others. Color was much less intense and I had trouble with it not dissolving properly, which produced a very spotty look. Last time I tried using hot water, but it still was much slower and less intense. Noticed 2 people mention some of the blues fading to purple. I can remember a blouse or dress in light blue that did the same thing when I was a kid. At the time my mother, who was a home-ec teacher said that blue was like that. Guess for some things it still is! I think Nancy has a point, most things placed for very long in strong sunlight do fade. Joy Moody - It will be interesting to hear what you find about Pattern Acquisition Syndrome. I seem to have suffered from this earlier in my life with clothing patterns and crochet/knitting patterns. Must run in families as my mother still has boxes full of patterns. Jennifer - Glad you enjoyed the Missouri convention. Next year I am definitely going! There, now I am committed. I keep saying it to remind everyone I'm not making any commitments that would interfere with convention. Hope I meet you there. Janet - I don't have any specific patterns to recommend, but the sleigh classes seem very popular where I take basket workshops. Also, Cathy Strickland has a pattern that looks like a little shopping bag called the Christmas Shopper Basket that looks interesting. I have been thinking about experimenting with the instructions in a book I have somewhere for making napkin rings with a Turkish knot type of design. If they were the right size and you hung a small jingle bell, or Christmas figure in the ring, I think you might have an interesting tree ornament. Some kind of interwoven ball made of reed should also work.. Hope that makes sense for you. Kay Ames - I liked the idea of seeing book covers, too. When the web address you enclosed didn't work I tried entering just 'www.arnies.com' and found the site, then went to the books. Neat! Also liked your idea of several dye pots and over-dyeing. Now all I need are the additional canning pots and enough burners. I too like liquid Rit, but I frequently can't find the color I want in liquid. Also on the subject of liquid Rit, last time I was dyeing I was using a bottle I had used a couple of tablespoons out of earlier. I didn't want the color to be too intense, so I only used a half-cup of dye. When the color didn't get strong enough I added the rest of the dye and the dye at the bottom of the bottle was very thick. I wound up with globs of goo, since I had poured it in the middle of the pan, with the reed around it. I stirred it up with my rubber-gloved hand until it was all liquified, and the reed turned out fine, but next dye session I will probably shake the bottle and let the bubbles settle or something. Obviously the part of the color that works on reed had settled in the bottle. Don't know if opening it before had an effect or not. Betsy Clark - Glad sales on the book are going well. Best tips: Wow, there have been lots, but once you use them awhile you take them for granted. I think that the shaping tips from Judith Olney, both here and at the 'Baskets, Etc.' website are right at the top of the list. The 'Baskets, Etc.' website, in fact, has lots of great tips. Also, a tip about using salt in the soaking water to reduce the chance of colored reed bleeding has helped. I think it was from a website also, I just don't remember which one. There are a lot of helpful ideas on various websites. I would definitely recommend that new weavers, like me, spend some time checking out the links occasionally. Hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend. Alice Edwards - in the 'slightly cooler' Greater Kansas City area. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Gathering naturals Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 12:31:49 -0400 From: Larry & Amy To: weaverswords Hello Weavers! I have 2 questions. First, the farmers are starting to harvest the wheat here. I wondered if anyone has woven wheat. What did you do? Is it strong enough to make something like a small wall basket? If you store it bundled, hanging upside down, do the wheat berries dry & fall out? Any help appreciated! The second is kind of related--I've seen small birdhouses woven from cattail leaves. Do I harvest & dry them now, when they are green, or wait till late fall when they turn brown on their own. Bert Comstock-Do you use naturals pretty exclusively? You really seem to be knowledgeable! Is there a good reference book that you (or anybody) would recommend for someone just starting with naturals? Thanks a lot! ...Baskets forever...Housework whenever! -Amy from BG, Ohio {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Some replies Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 10:29:40 PDT From: "pam duffykope" To: davidc@iei.net David Collins - your dictionary is great. A great resource for everyone. Gail Caron: Regarding tying the hoops for a rim basket only to have it fall. When I do a rib basket, the night before I use a spot of glue and glue the hoops together rather than tie them. Hold the hoops in place with clothespins. Sometimes I will loop a piece of string through one hoop and let it hang from something (like a pipe in the laundry room) while the glue is drying. If it is hanging then it is not leaning on anything that may move the hoops apart. Then it is ready for weaving the next day or whenever it dries. Cheating? Maybe, but it works well for me. Roberta Comstock: I would like to learn more about needle-looping (naalbinding) that you mentioned. Are there any books on it? Thank you for the description on baleen baskets. I always wondered what they were. I still don't understand how you bend or weave it if it such a hard substance. Lois Keener: How frustrating to buy a pattern on red paper and then not being able to read it. I searched my stuff and I do have one pattern on red paper but the type is in bold and the font is large and there is a lot of "white space" or in this case, red space. There is a nice easy to see photo of the basket so this is ok. So many patterns are hard to read even on light colored paper. To save space, the developer sometimes types the instructions line by line by line blah blah blah. It would be easier to read if the steps were numbered or in bullet lists. I know this is done to save paper costs but it is still frustrating to read small print line by line and keep on weaving! Graphics are even better but most of us are not illustrators. Roberta Comstock: Bittersweet, trumpet vines, rose of sharon twices, bindween vines, catalpa pods, elm bark, cattails? I am impressed that not only you have this stuff growing nearby but you can put a name to it. I have wetlands behind my house. I wonder what goodies are out there. What do you do with day lily leaves. I know I have that in my garden. I didn't weave baskets in Japan. It was a trip to visit with my son and his wife. He had two houseguests from Australia plus my daughter and another friend who came along. There I was, a 50-something Mom with 6 ea 20-something adults. It was weird and they certainly weren't interested in baskets. My own children had gift shops with baskets picked out for me to look at. These were strictly tourist baskets and you know what that is like. I saw a lot of cheap imports. Some baskets were shellacked (hard) and I don't care for that style so I didn't buy any baskets. I did find one I really liked but it was the last day we were there. I had been sick with a sinus infection the whole two weeks and I was just anxious to get back and go to the doctor so I had no ambition to buy anything more by that time. We Americans are so lucky. I tried in several different stores (department type and discount type stores) to get some cold meds but they never had any where we went. We finally went to a discount store that did sell some cold remedies - course it was a very small selection and all written in Japanese. I did recognize one box with the word "Contac" on it. It worked pretty well and did not put me to sleep like the American Contac does. This cost about $14.00 or so, 4 oz of cough syrup was $9.00 and Vick cough drops were $3 to $4 for a small regular box we pay .69 cents for. It cost me about $32.00 to get these meds. I saw a box of Advil behind a class case - 20 capsules for about $9.00. Donna: What are hardwood veneer splints. Well, I can guess what they are but where do you get them and is there an advantage to using them vs. reed? Just curious. Pam in OH: Would love to order handles and bases from you too. Look forward to seeing your web site. Does anyone know if there is any "basket action" in the state of Delaware? Would love to get this information. My husband talks about "someday retiring there to be near relatives". Ummm. Happy 4th of July from beautiful and warm Anoka, Minnesota. Pam D-K {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.