Split Willow Work!

Still flying high from the four day Norwegian Vedmeis basket workshop with Hege Aasdal at Woodspirit School in Ashland, Wisconsin. I got to hang out with experienced and first time basket makers. Those who had worked with split willow, ash, oak, etc for years, and those who have never done it before. These baskets were traditionally made in the east of Norway to hold wool, hay (made larger) etc. The method of splitting willow was not the usual way which utilizes a cleave. Hege was lovely and amazing. She brought her mentor, Samson. The two of them travel the world to keep this tradition alive. This basket started with two willow hoops bent and tied with spruce roots. We spent the first two days splitting the willow and the second two making the basket. This basket was so gratifying to make and also so much more challenging than it looks. Icing on the cake was camping for four days, all of them in 32° weather at night and three of them with nonstop rain. Leaves just beginning to turn. All on the shores of Lake Superior. #basketmaking #woodspiritschool #splitwillow