I’ve been a bit preoccupied recently because we are building a kitchen extension. Not building it ourselves, of course, but having teams of workmen knocking down walls, inserting steel beams, and building new walls. That’s as far as they’ve got in four weeks, which is pretty good going – partly because it hasn’t rained and the weather has been fairly mild. Unbelievably, our 32-year-old boiler, supported by wooden struts and gaffer tape because there is no longer a wall to attach it to, continues to work!
With the noise and the dust, it hasn’t been that easy to settle down to anything creative – I’ve mostly been knitting. But on one of our regular site inspections I did alight upon some potential basketry materials.
In one of the photos above you can see some dark green plastic strapping tape used to hold building materials in position on pallets while being transported. The second photo shows a wall with a plastic strip of damp-proof membrane sticking out near the bottom.
Here are some cleaner versions of the materials. The plastic strapping tape is thicker and stiffer, while the damp-proof membrane is much softer and floppier, with a grid texture.
I thought I would try making a lattice-twined pouch using the technique I learned with Tim Johnson at Weaving by the Sea. In the workshop we used either chair cane or rush (separately, not together), and I wasn’t sure how using two different materials with different properties would work. The only way to find out was to try.
Here’s the result. It worked fine, the stiffer strapping tape supporting the floppier damp-proof membrane (I don’t think it would have worked if I had just used the membrane).
Basketmakers have traditionally used whatever materials they have to hand locally, so I like to think I am following in that tradition. And it succeeded in distracting me for a while from the chaos below. Only another 12 weeks to go!
PS There are a lot of urban foxes in our area, and one used to sleep on piles of dead bamboo leaves in the back garden. Since the work started I’ve seen it investigating the trenches and other goings on in the evenings after the builders have left. It left definitive proof of this after the concrete had been poured for the foundations! Now it’s moved to the front garden, where it sleeps during the day.
How completely thrilling – I love early days of building work – and watching new space evolve, but even more exciting to see you make such a visually exciting pouch, colour and materials all complimenting each other. Another beautiful KW work of art!
Thanks Judy. It’s been fascinating watching the building work proceed, though a bit nerve wracking when the back of the house appeared to be supported by only a few scaffolding poles and a hydraulic lift before they put the steel beams in! Making is a good distraction…
Love the basket – I’ve been doing the same thing – combined white packing tape with old beta-max tape. I used the packing tape for the ribs and twined the beta max tape around it and also twined some acrylic yarn. As soon as I finish my current project I plan to do another using 2 colors of packing twine. Keep exploring. The packing tape will curl (like paper ribbon) if you are careful using the edge of a pair of scissors.
It’s always interesting to experiment with different materials, isn’t it. Thanks for the tip about packing tape!
Looks great Kim! , always good to try new materials and improvise with what you have available.
Thanks Tim – thankfully the builders didn’t object!