How to make baskets . 140 HOW TO MAKE BASKETS Although melon shaped baskets are graceful andattractive in form, the workman who undertakes toweave one will need a good stock of patience andskill, for they are among the most difficult basketsto make shapely and strong. On general principlesit is well to have the spoke material as strong andunyielding as possible, while the weavers should be very pliable yet is hard tomanage as a weaverand rattan, unless itis unusually pliable,will break in makingthe sharp turns overthe edge of the melonbasket. The one inthe picture is madeof heavy r
How to make baskets . 140 HOW TO MAKE BASKETS Although melon shaped baskets are graceful andattractive in form, the workman who undertakes toweave one will need a good stock of patience andskill, for they are among the most difficult basketsto make shapely and strong. On general principlesit is well to have the spoke material as strong andunyielding as possible, while the weavers should be very pliable yet is hard tomanage as a weaverand rattan, unless itis unusually pliable,will break in makingthe sharp turns overthe edge of the melonbasket. The one inthe picture is madeof heavy round rattanfor the edge, flat rat-tan for the spokes and handle, and narrow splint,such as is used by the Indians, for the ten-inch spokes are first whittled to a gradualpoint at each end, a point from two and a half tothree inches long. The ends of the twenty-threeinch spoke of flat rattan are also pointed in thesame way. The twenty-one inch spoke of No. 5rattan is slit, for half an inch, in the centre and. Fig. 28 OVAL BASKETS I4I whittled to a thin, flat point at each end. The piece of flat rattan which is to form the centre rib of the basket, as well as the handle, is passed through the slit in the twenty-one inch spoke (which is to formi the rim of the basket) and its ends are brought together, between the two pointed ends of the twenty-one inch spoke, where they are bound securely with a piece of fine wire, see Fig. 28. In this basket there are two starting points, or centres, one at either side of the handle, and here the handle, rim and spokes are bound together. One way of doing this. is as follows: The tips of eight spokes, four on each side of the central flat spoke or handle, are run up th rough the centre (where the handle and rim are en ysscd) and held in position by the left hand, while wit h the right hand a weaver is started back of the hai idle and lying along the rim spoke, with its end to the right. It is brought forward and diagonally do wi) betw
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