How time flies when you are having fun

10" diameter ribbed basket - reed

1984? Really? How in the world did 28 years go by so quickly? I am not even 100 percent sure when I made my first basket. Oh I remember weaving that first basket, a round reed wickerwork number, I am just not sure if it was in winter of 1983 or spring of 1984. I know I was home from college, just not sure if it was for Christmas or Spring break. I guess that really doesn't matter, I have been weaving for quite a while, almost 30 years. Since I am only 29 years old, I am not really sure how that works...

Anyway, back to reality. When I first started weaving my favorite type to make were ribbed baskets. This one was made after I took a week long workshop with Estel and Gertie Youngblood at the Appalachian Center for Crafts. The reason I know this is that I have starting "filling in" the traditional Appalachian method the Youngbloods taught me. Though it doesn't use the "ear" that we used in class. I know I used to switch between two different traditional styles.

10" diameter ribbed basket - hand split white oak

The crazy thing is that as much as I have always loved this style of basket I have not made a ribbed basket in probably a dozen years. I used to teach a lot of ribbed basket classes, but when I stopped teaching those back in the late 90s I quit making them completely. I really want to take another white oak class and hopefully will get to one of these years.