BASKET WEAVING WITH WEEDS
SERIOUSLY, WHAT AN AMAZING CLASS!
Okay this photo has a quite a story behind it. The basket on the left is one that I made in a class in 7th grade taught by none other than the fabulous Irene! Somehow through all the years of spartoic moving its managed to stay in beautiful shape. Now 15 years later I got the honor and privilege of brushing up on my basket weaving skills with Irene and the photo on the right is a basket I made using ivy, morning glory, clematis, bull kelp and I'm sure I'm missing a couple other things. What an invigorating class, I love sharing ancestral knowledge and cannot wait for my children to grow up in a household with baskets hung in my kitchen. And soon they will learn to make baskets themselves. This kind of knowledge is power. To walk into the forest with nothing and walk out with baskets of berries later in the afternoon is a pretty powerful independence, one that I believe is trying to be repressed.
But do not fear! I just cannot stop weaving! Goodbye ivy, I love experimenting with different materials. Now nearly every member of my family has a basket and I'm not slowing down any time soon. Making baskets is something that speaks to my very soul and I cannot stop now even if I tried.
A beautiful Bull Kelp Gods Eye, keeping this basket strong for years of gathering garden goodies. This was by far my favorite material to work with during the creation of this basket. It smelled like the sea and between the scent and the natural process of weaving it brought me back to a place where I had been a long time ago. Just like that, in the middle of our class, I felt that I was on the beach! I could hear the ocean calling me from her watery depths. Come back to me, come home.
Words cannot express how blessed I feel to have regained this knowledge lost to me. Lost to generations of ‘connected’ but yet oh so disconnected people of this planet. This is the time to come home to yourself, to your knowledge, to your power. Let us create a beautiful world together.
Anyone have any Ivy they need to get rid of? Lets make baskets together and sip tea :)
If you would like to check out more of Irene’s magick, connect or enjoy some really beautiful baskets for sale on her website visit: https://www.woodardcreekhomestead.com
And before I go I just cant forget to give a quick SHOUTOUT to Chuckanut Center for hosting such amazing and empowering workshop. If you want to learn new skills of resilience in the ham check them out: http://www.chuckanutcenter.org/p/events.html
Until Next Time, Peace & Love -Mama Bear