New creations

Driven by renewed enthusiasm, I collected my wisteria vines that I had stored in the shed from last year and soaked them in water in the bath to soften them.  Instinctively I knew what to do and the order in which to do it and was able to just get on with it without interruption.  I felt alive with my new ideas and in the flow of making and the processes involved.  Nothing was distracting my new mission as I worked with focus and intent.  My new idea felt right and natural to me.  Using the resources that I had stored in my shed offered me new purpose and satisfaction.  I was giving myself permission to play and create with these natural materials.  

I left these vines soaking in the bath for about 3 days.

Random Weave basket

The random weave basket started like this.

Three hoops were created with the pliable, bendy wisteria vines and interlocked with each other.  They were secured with a plastic tie which could then be removed later.  My hoops were not the same regular size as each other and so I manipulated the larger one to fit inside the smaller one and then laid them flat on the towelled surface.  One by one, I threaded my remaining vine lengths through the hoops, under and over in a weave.  As more vines were added, tension was building and I became more involved in deciding where to thread my vines next in order to balance and enhance the structure carefully.  Though this is random weave, there is intention in its construction.  Cuddling the basket in my arms was helping it to develop a container shape, but it kept relaxing, so I pushed it into the cylindrical kitchen sink and left it there overnight, sitting in water. This helped to mould it better into shape.

Meanwhile I was looking at weather my turmeric dyed garden twine would work with the chicken wire.  I tested some.

I split the twine into 3 strands of fibres and began to wind it around the wire.  It felt cosy in my hand.  I had made a harsh, industrial resource into something comfortable to hold. I liked it, but I doubted the simplicity of just wrapping the twine.  I thought there might be a more impressive technique, even though this was working for now.  I still want to create a basket structure with it.