This basket is based on a forerunner of the Nantucket Lightship basket, c. 1850. Woven on a round oak base, the spokes are inserted into a groove which holds them firmly in place. This basket employs a continuous chase weave to build the sides, using two weavers at once. The basket is hand-shaped, not woven on a mold, and students will be challenged and excited to watch their creations grow with two weavers. A hand-carved oak handle is incorporated into the rim, which finishes this rustically graceful and functional basket. It is woven on a 6" oak base which grows into a 12" diameter basket. Dimensions are approx. 10" high at sides, 16" high at handle.

The Shaker Community, founded in New York, is known for its design aesthetic, combining form and function in simply elegant ways. This class introduces students to the Cathead base, a Shaker classic. In this form, a small, square base grows into a round basket, at the diameter and height of the student's choosing. This particular technique of weaving corners produces four "feet" upon which the basket rests. This creates a raised base on the inside of the basket, allowing its contents to first fill the perimeter of the basket, and then the center. Disbursing the weight of the basket contents, first to the perimeter, serves to prevent produce from becoming bruised and protects the center of the basket from wearing out. Students will weave a two-by-two twill pattern for both the base and the sides of the basket.