After teaching at a couple of back-to-back residential weekend workshops, it was a relief to get away to become a student again, without teaching responsibilities. Even better, the workshop was part of Weaving by the Sea, a very popular series of workshops in Catalonia, just south of Barcelona. This was the third time I had attempted to book (workshops sell out immediately booking opens), so third time lucky I guess.
My workshop was with Tim Johnson, focused on lattice twining, using dyed chair cane and colourful jute and linen. As ever, Tim provided a wonderful selection of twined samples from around the world, plus some inevitably hard-to-obtain publications to pore over.
In lattice twining the stakes cross over each other rather than going straight up (in fact, the experiments I was doing previously inspired by cable knitting were examples of lattice twining). But here we were crossing double layers of cane in different colours.
Of course, the baskets everyone produced over three days were all strikingly different. And being a very international group (from the US, Canada, and New Zealand as well as Europe) we learned from each other too. A basketmaker from Oregon showed me a method of twining that she called bead twining, where one weaver wraps around the other. Tim also taught us a wrapped twining method using cane for the border.
Here are the two baskets I made. You can see the bead twining on the red basket in the band below the border. I even managed a handle made from cyperus.
There were two other workshops going on at the same time (frame baskets in rush and bark with Mai Hvid Joergensen and willow squarework with François Desplanches), and it was fun dropping in to see what was going on.
Mai also gave a very interesting talk one evening about her collection of Swedish baskets, providing ideas for another basketry fair to visit!
After Weaving by the Sea was over, we headed to Salt on the outskirts of Girona for the annual Fira del Cistell, or basketry fair. The whole village makes an effort, with baskets seemingly adorning every roundabout and balcony.
Alongside a strong representation of Catalan basketry were lots of international makers, mostly willow but also esparto, canya, chestnut and straw.
There was a basketry competition, with even more varied work, along with winning entries from previous years.
There was also an exhibition on the use of plant materials and basketry based on archaeological findings, with modern makers, including Tim, reproducing pieces that have been discovered.
In the evenings there was live music and dancing, as well as a parade of giant figures (a bit of a local tradition – you can see an exhibition about them at the Museum of Catalan Art in Barcelona).
A Ukrainian straw artist, Anna Deynega, with whom I have only been in contact by email previously, was there and persuaded me to try one one of her elaborate bridal headdresses.
I also bought a traditional snail collecting basket made of esparto grass. It’s made by Neolithic braiding, and one day I might work out how to make one myself!
Fascinating post Kim, what a great trip!
Having recently attended a twining workshop and experimented with dyeing some cane just yesterday, your great pics of colourful twined pouches just leapt off the page at me! I probably won’t attempt the lattice bit but I can definitely feel a twined pouch coming on…..!
Thanks so much, I look forward to your interesting posts!
Thanks Hazel – glad you enjoyed the post! Sounds like you’d enjoy a workshop on lattice twining with Tim. 🙂
Sounds absolutely fabulous! And the baskets are gorgeous. It’s a long way from NZ but maybe I might need to look at it for a trip for my 60th – if I can get tickets that is! Thanks for sharing.
It is a long way Karen, but there was an attendee from New Zealand, so it can be done! What better way to celebrate your big Six Oh? And a great opportunity to visit other places in Europe while you’re here.