"Weavers Words" Vol. 3 Iss. 39 Date Sent: August 23, 1999 Web Page: http://www.iei.net/~davidc/ Subscribers: 1137 David Collins 408 North Devon Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 317-899-5747 davidc@iei.net %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Do You Like Weavers Words? Click Below To "Recommend-It" To A Friend! http://recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=210339 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% The Basket Bookstore Stop by "Weavers Words Basketry Bookstore" for a great selection of basketry literature & save up to 40%. Over 40 titles to choose from. The address is: http://www.iei.net/~davidc/book.html %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Attention New Subscribers You can search Weaver's Words web page and back issues by going to Weaver's Words web page (http://www.iei.net/~davidc/) and entering your search criteria into the PinPoint search box. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Attention AOL Subscribers For some reason some AOL subscribers haven't been receiving Weaver's Words through email. If you are one of these subscribers, or know one of someone who has not been receiving Weaver's Words, you can get all of the issues of the Weaver's Words web page. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Weavers' Words ALL READ!! Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 20:54:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Marsha Ackerman To: David Collins Hi All, I am so proud of myself; I just emptied my inbox for the first time in at least six months! Obviously I am on vacation where I can get to a computer. Which brings me to my question. We are spending a week with our eldest daughter in Portland, Oregon - are there any basket supply places here or in Vancouver, WA? Any other basket related places I should drag my family to? We leave 8/23 so hope some of you answer in the next WW. Thanks in advance. I enjoyed the last 40. Marsha from the UP of MI but currently in Portland, OR %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Basket Class Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 21:52:54 -1000 From: Joanne Howard To: "Collins, David" Aloha, Just had to share this with you all. Thanks to Lois, I was able to teach my friend and her 14 year old daughter something about weaving today. I don't teach and I was a little nervous. They had a great time and Sarah (the teenager) was really excited about weaving. This could turn out to be a new hobby for her. I taught them a very simple basket (Lois gave me all the know how) and we called it a CD Basket to which Sarah was very excited. She didn't have any place to put all of her CD's and now she had a basket to put them in and she made it herself. It was so satisfying to pass on my love for weaving with these people as they appreciated it so much. The good news is, they want to continue classes, to which I hand them Lois' schedule and encourage them to sign up with her!!! I don't want to teach so I don't mind sending them on their way!!! Hope you all are having decent weather. It's been hot but nice around here. I guess I should get myself in gear and start those holiday baskets (I usually put off until the last minute and sweat it out over Xmas) a little early this year!! Can't wait to get my swap partner. I hope I have the talent to make a basket worthy of some of the ones I have read about in WW. Well, It might not be fancy but it will be made with Aloha!!! Aloha, Joanne %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 38 Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 06:32:39 -0400 From: Pamela Woodbury To: David Collins References: 1 Hi Weavers, Kristen, you had me laughing so hard. I would have loved to have been on I-75 the day you were taking a dead porcupine off of the road. Maybe you can save the DNR quite a bit if you get into the business of retrieving carcasses. Actually several years ago I took a makuk class with Richard Gillian. I, too, had every intention of going home and making some more. I pointed out to my family I needed a dead porcupine. Now mind you I wasn't as brave as you. Anyhow my oldest son stopped somewhere up by Rose City and got me a road kill but he was also nice enough to pluck it for me so I never did see the nasty little critter. Sorry to say I have never used the quills, but I won't part with them because of all the trouble Jeff went to, to get them for me. AH maybe someday. I would also like to tell anyone thinking of ordering weavers stain that I indeed got 12 or more baskets out of one can. I love that driftwood and have every intention of stocking up this year at AMB convention. Thanks again Dollie. Pam %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: mini back packs and fishing creels Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 08:43:57 -0400 From: "Steve Catsos" To: "david collins" Dear fellow weavers- Karen - I did not send the little pack swap basket, but I weave a miniature black ash adirondack style backpack. It is 1 1/2" tall and has leather straps. I number each basket and record each new owner in my journal. The mini pack sells for $99. If you are interested send me your snail mail address and I'll send you a photo. I also teach (and sell a kit and mold for) a Business Card Pack Basket. Woven of ash, it's about 4" tall and designed to hold business cards. Hope this helps! Tina - You wanted to make a fishing creel for your husband? I teach (and sell a kit and mold for) a small fishing creel. "Steve's Fishing Creel", named after my husband, is about 3 1/2" wide and 2 1/2" tall. It is woven of ash over a puzzle mold that I designed. It has a wooden lid and leather straps. and is really cute! I also weave a true miniature fishing creel. It is made in the same way as Steve's Creel, but it is 3/4" tall and 1" wide. I number each mini creel, too. It sold for $99. If you're interested, send me your snail mail address and I'll send a photo and more info. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but my 15 years old daughter, Ashleigh, is more computer-literate than I. She has built a web page for me. (I'm a basketmaker - not a computer whiz!) Although it doesn't have info on my ash kits or teaching schedule (yet), it does have a few photos of my work. Check out http://countrybaskets.homepage.com/Country.html Enjoy! Happy Weaving!! JoAnn Kelly Catsos from southwestern MA %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 38 Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 13:42:44 -0700 From: "Pamela Zimmerman" To: "David Collins" Re the M&M thing - I have taken a resolution to cut down on unwanted & hoax email. Basically, my rule is: "If it says 'send to as many people as you can' - DON'T!" That seems to be the red flag. Even if it is benign seeming (like a request for prayers for shooting victims - those who are predisposed towards prayer are likely already doing so!) Before I forward something, I usually let it sit a day, come back & read it again, and then pick the one or two people I think really want to see it, if it bears passing on. I haven't been embarrassed or disappointed since inception of my little "private email policy". Pamela Zimmerman Who will NEVER forward a LIST to a LIST again! %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: HELP Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 17:49:20 -0400 From: "Tom Rigterink" To: Hello everyone! I am currently working on the "Mr. Snowman" basket written by Kathy Libby and I'm stuck with the modified Gretchen border at the top. I've done the greaten a number of times and I guess I feel I know what I'm doing, but this is different. Here's what the pattern says: taken any spoke in left hand and the spoke next to it in your right hand and bring the left spoke behind the right spoke to the outside (no problem) Continue all the way around the basket and finish off by bringing the last spoke under the first spoke that you wove and out (no problem). Weave a total of 3 rows on the inside of the handle and 7-8 on the outside...here's where the problem is...I have to weave the rows alternating each row right...can I weave just on the outside for 5 or so rows? Thanks for any and all comments. Diane %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Retayne Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 17:59:17 EDT From: Karitamus@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Hi everyone! It's been a while since I've written, but since school started today (YEA!) I might have time to respond once in a while! Wanted to thank all who sent in their ideas and suggestions for teaching kids how to weave a basket. Taught two sessions in one day - not a great idea. The craft superintendent agreed that next year it would be one basket for the whole day. Of course, I'll probably have to have a separate session just for my club! I have been trying to find which issue(s) of WW has the info on Retayne. When I do a search, it comes back negative. My main question is when to add the Retayne to the water - before or after I add the dye? I have really enjoyed the swaps. It's so nice to get a basket I can keep! Until next time! Karita in cloudy and cooler (78) Bloomington, IN %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 37 Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 14:53:35 -0500 From: Roberta R Comstock To: davidc@iei.net From: David Collins "Weavers Words" Vol. 3 Iss. 37 Pamela Bass - The geese you saw were probably Diana Macomber's. She has the patterns for sale, but I'm not sure who carries them. You might start with the Weavers Words classified ads on the web page. Or try some of the dealers links. Maybe one of our readers who has a shop will pipe up and tell you how to order from them. Diane somewhere near the Divide - I am running Swap number 6. As far as I'm concerned, an honest effort by a beginner is as precious to me as something spectacular by a pro. The recipient can always look at it in the years to come and say, yes, That person made me a basket when they first began to weave. There is always the chance that a basket you receive may not be what you had hoped for, but that is part of the element of surprise. If anyone is concerned more about the basket they may get than they are about doing a good job on the basket they give, perhaps this type of swap is not for them. It's all a learning experience. If by chance, you receive a basket that is not your favorite type, you can still appreciate it for the thoughtfulness and effort that went into it. Perhaps you have a friend or relative who would cherish it and give it a good home. Leigh in limbo - It may not be the site someone else recommended, but a few of my waxed linen pieces are posted on the Weavers Words web site. (Along with many fascinating baskets by other people) The address is at the beginning of each issue of WW. Bert Comstock, Independence, MO %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 38 Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 14:58:32 -0500 From: Roberta R Comstock To: davidc@iei.net "Weavers Words" Vol. 3 Iss. 38 Kristin - Your basket retreat and porcupine find was a real treat to read about! We don't have porcupines in Missouri (except in zoos), so I bought a supply of quills when we were in Alaska years ago. I have just learned that I will be spending a day in Springfield, MO, on Saturday the 28th of August. Are there any weavers in the area who would like to get together? Do you want to have a class? If there's something scheduled, is there space available? If not, would you like me to teach? Are there any basketry shops in town? The deadline for signing up for WW Swap #6 is fast approaching. Please read and follow the instructions previously posted and send your information to me at herthab@aorldnet.att.net by the 25th of August, 1999. Bert Comstock, recovering from garage-cleaning, Phase 1, in Independence, MO. Off to haul a load of stuff to the recycling center. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Teachers listing Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 12:40:02 -0400 From: "Donna L." To: "David Collins" Hi all - It has been brought to my attention that I did not have the address correct for our teachers listing page. Correct address should be: http://www.countryseat.com/info2.htm Sorry if anyone tried to find it previously. Donna L. ctryseat@fast.net http://www.countryseat.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: (no subject) Date: Sat, 21 Aug 1999 15:37:24 EDT From: Llihanit@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Hey, y'all! Just in case anyone is looking for a hardback copy of Lyn Siler's The Basket Book, there is one on eBay, #150187010 for $4.00. The auction ends 8/30. Thanks, David! Tina in Williamsport, PA %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: summer's ending Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 18:29:02 -0500 From: "purrx3@stlnet.com" To: Hi Everyone! Well, it may not feel that summer's over (St. Louis is cooler, but still too dry), but I've been back to school for two weeks already. As a counselor, I work a month more than the rest of the staff, but still, the summer really flew. Belated congratulations to all the newly married weavers out there. I hope your new spouses are as tolerant as my husband of our art/craft, the mess it sometimes makes, and the space both the materials and finished products occupy. It helps if your spouse also has one or more hobbies that the two of you can work on together. We both trout fish - Bob more often than I - and if you know a fisherman, you know that one can never have too many rods, reels, flies, nets, and various and sundry other gadgets. He also collects baseball cards. Now that there are no children living at home, we spend several evenings a week watching TV together while I weave and he reviews, re-organizes, etc. his baseball cards. By the way, Bob and I celebrated our 30th anniversary Aug. 16. I took Jill Chaote's antler basket class when she was in St. Louis last month and bought an antler from her that was scrimshawed with a leaping salmon. I wove the basket in blues, greens, and some brown to represent a fast-moving river and added some salmon leather 'for luck.' I filled it with many of those little things fishermen seem to love - powder to dry wet flies, another pair of hemostats, leader, tippet, and of course more flies. He liked it so much he took it into his office. (Now if it doesn't get hidden behind myriads of case files, I'm sure many people will admire it.) Thanks again, Jill. Special congratulations to Aunt Patti on her store opening. How nice that your nephew was so helpful. A friend just cut down a white birch and gave me 4 pieces about 3 feet long. I'm going to try to process the bark and experiment with that. My principal (a former shop teacher) is making me the press to dry/flatten the bark for me. I bought some very expensive birch bark recently and am having trouble separating it. Any suggestions? My daughter and I are going to harvest some cat tails soon. Enjoy the nice weather! Elaine in St. Louis %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Barb Rains' pattern Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 20:17:28 -0500 From: cjc619 To: davidc@iei.net Hi everyone, I ordered a pattern called "Candy Corn" by Barbara Rains that has candy corn painted on the front of it, but no instructions for painting it. I tried to contact the author from the phone number that was listed to ask her for the instructions, but the number is out of service. I also contacted Arnie's at Basket patterns, where I ordered the pattern, to seeif they can help me and am awaiting their reply. I'm not very good at painting and I especially have trouble doing it without instructions! If there is anyone out there who has made this basket before who could help me, or knows how to contact Barb Rains, I would really appreciate it! Lisa Carstens in SE Wisconsin %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Missouri Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 21:52:19 -0700 From: Kim Leppin To: davidc@iei.net I heard from Bert Comstock that the Missouri convention for 2000 will beheld in St. Louis. Can anyone give me the dates and any other pertinent info I may need? Thanks Kim in southeastern Wisconsin %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: ribbed baskets Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 20:07:03 -1000 From: The Keener Clan To: davidc@iei.net Aloha from hot sticky Honolulu (but fortunately, Hurricane Dora missed us), Bert, I will have to see what my Kansas City schedule looks like. We are leaving here on Tuesday (the 12th) night and will get into KC around noonish the next day (with a stop in SF and Denver) and will be leaving Sunday aft (have to get to SF and get their last flight out to Honolulu or risk spending the night in the airport). I want to spend some time with my best friend, Dee, whom I haven*t seen in years and naturally, I hafta do Girl Scout business--after all, that*s what I*m going for..but when the schedule is drawn up, I*ll let you know. Hmmm, that story about road kill makes me glad that the only dead things I see on the road here are mongooses--nothing one could weave off them--yuk. Tony, a friend loaned me her copy of the Grandmother basket. It is way over my head as it has been a long time since I*ve done a ribbed basket. I do want to tackle it, tho, so I must ask. When a ribbed basket pattern says to cut the ribs the shape I want the basket (and this basket has 4 lobes), do I just have to play around with the round reed until I think I*m happy with the shape and then just go for it? It is hard to know what the shape will be without weaving first...When do I know I*m supposed to add secondary ribs? Should I try something more simple first? I really want to weave this basket, but I*m a bit apprehensive.....do you have Jack in the Box in St. Louis? They have a Jack Pez Dispenser and I can get one if Dean needs one....it is a cutie. Aloha, Lois %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Antler baskets Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 08:28:13 -0500 From: Dianne Gleixner To: "'David Collins'" Hi all weavers! Does anyone nave any information on preparing antlers for weaving? My husband recently decided to give me some white tail deer antlers that have been sitting around the attic for years. They are still attached to the skull (sounds gross but it really isn't!). If anyone can give me tips on how to remove them from the skull, and how to make them "pretty" please let me know. I've ordered a few patterns for antler baskets and hope they come with instructions for drilling. Any tips would be appreciated! Thanks all. From rainy and cooler southeast WI, Dianne Gleixner %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: honeymoon Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 17:04:03 -0400 From: "Angie Wagner" To: "David" Hi all! I'm finally caught up!. I didn't want to start answering questions only to find out 5 people had beat me to it. So the only thing I'll address is the Christmas ornaments question from the last issue: Nancy -why don't you try anything in miniature. Make small Carolina Snowflakes, round reed baskets in sizes #00-#3, tiny elbow baskets work great. The books Mini Memories 1 & 2 have great ideas for popular baskets woven in small sizes. If you visit our on-line catalog, try the search feature and type in Christmas or ornament or mini or miniature. Any of these will give you a list of patterns to view. We have patterns for candy canes, snowflakes, drums, Saint Nick, a boot, etc. This is a great way to use up the scraps of reed laying around. Mike and I survived 2 weeks of (sometimes very stressful) traveling by train from Amsterdam to Germany, I guess we'll stay married! VBG! Amsterdam was fun (we were bumped to business class on our flight (overbooked) and given a bottle of champagne because they knew we were on our honeymoon) and the cheese is great! We had a great time and saw the entire eclipse in Germany from start to finish! We were prob one of the few, of course it was raining and cloudy. We rented a car and just drove until we found a sunny spot. We were surrounded by some German farmer's fields on a road I think only bicycles and people were supposed to be on. We got some funny looks, but all anyone cared about was the eclipse. The beer was great in Munich and the old Roman town of Trier was seeped in history and we had a great potato, chicken, cheese and mushroom casserole dish at a restaurant. My German's not so great and we guessed on the food we were ordering many times. Castle Heidelburg was beautiful and amazing (I felt sorry for the peasants who had to place the foundation stones on the cliff edges!) and we saw castle Frankenstein. The Bavarian Forest is gorgeous and I can easily see why so many Germans settled in PA. We saw a Bayern Munich soccer game at the Olympic stadium - fun! If anyone goes to Amsterdam or Munich I highly recommend taking a Mike's Bike Tour. They're not PC and very irreverent and lots of fun. We did the one in Munich (didn't find out about Amsterdam until it was too late), they take you around in large groups (staying off the major streets) and show the sites, make you laugh, tell you gossip about founding fathers of the city, then go through the English gardens and the beer gardens. There you drink liter glasses of beer for an hour or so and then get back on your bike and keep going! Somehow no one had an accident. After you finish, everyone on the tour goes to the Hofbrauhaus and drinks more liter glasses of beer (do you see a pattern emerging:) Thanks to everyone who sent congratulations! It is good to be home. Gas prices are rising again here at home, but after seeing first hand the gas prices in Europe, I had to let everyone know: we have nothing to complain about! Gas right now is anywhere from 1.50DM to 2.00DM a LITER! Not a gallon, a liter. We only used 1/2 a tank of gas and it cost us about 28.00DM to fill it, then we had to pay the 16% tax that is added on to everything in Germany. It totaled about 36.00DM. On average it costs about 95.00DM to fill a gas tank (the tanks hold the same amount there as they do here). I was unable to find any German or Dutch baskets to bring home, but did buy a beautiful coiled Indonesian basket in Munich. It has a dark wood pedestal, round body (of cane) with a coiled lid sewn on to a carved dark wooden top (a frog standing on the back of a turtle). Very well woven (I was picky!). That's it for me, or my post will be the entire issue of WW's! Angie Wagner in finally greener PA The Country Seat http://www.countryseat.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Slotted bases Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 20:10:06 -0500 From: "Anthony Robbins" To: Question time: My husband (an amateur woodworker) has offered to make slotted bases for me. He has scraps of cherry, oak, etc., that would makebeautiful bases. The problem we have found is that a regular saw blade makes the slot too wide for the reed. He would like to know ifthere is a special blade to cut this slot. Can anyone help? Cindy in Hot and Dry Dixie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.