Fig. 17
Feel the ends of your weavers and you will find that some are stiff while others are almost as soft and pliable as cord. Choose a soft one to start the mat. The four spokes arranged in pairs are crossed in the centre, the vertical ones being above the others, or nearer to you. Place the short spoke, seven inches long, between the upper parts of these vertical spokes. They are held in position by the left hand, which is, as always, the one that holds, while the right is the weaving hand. An end of the weaver (which has first been unwound) is placed along the horizontal spokes, back of the vertical ones, with its tip toward the right. The forefinger of the right hand now presses the weaver across the vertical spokes and down behind the horizontal ones on the right (thus binding the end of the weaver securely), next over the lower vertical spokes and behind the horizontal ones on the left (see Fig. 17). This is repeated, and then, starting with the upper vertical spokes, the spokes are separated and the weaving begins (see Fig. 18). If you want to do close, even work, do not pull the rattan as you weave, but press it with the forefinger, under and over the spokes as close to the work as possible. The spokes should be very evenly separated, for upon this much of the beauty and strength of your baskets will depend. Think of the regular spaces between the spokes of a wheel and how much trouble one badly placed spoke would make. When there is just enough weaver left to go around once, the edge is bound off. This is very much like overcasting.
Fig. 18
After going under one spoke and over another, the weaver is passed under the last row of weaving just before it reaches the next spoke. It then goes behind that spoke, in front of the next and under the last row of weaving before the next spoke. When a row of this binding has been made around the edge the mat is finished with the following border: Cut the spokes all the same length, not straight across but slanting, so as to make a point that can easily be pushed down between the weaving. Then hold them in water for a few minutes. When they are quite pliable the first spoke (any one you choose to begin with) is pushed down between the rows of weaving beside the one to the left of it or spoke No. 2. No. 2 is pushed down beside the next one to the left, No. 3, and so on all the way around the mat. Take care that at least an inch of each spoke is pressed below the edge of the mat.
Small Candy Basket
| Materials Required: | 4 14-inch spokes of No. 4 rattan, |
| 1 8-inch spoke of No. 4 rattan, | |
| 2 weavers of No. 2 rattan. |
This little basket may be woven of rattan in the natural colour and afterward dyed or gilded, or one can buy the rattan already coloured.