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Shaker Cat's Head Basket

Cat's Head Basket

Base:  7"x7"
Top: 12” Round
Sides:   8”
Handles:  Hardwood Square Push-In

Materials:

14 pieces @ 29” - 3/4” flat reed (horizontal & vertical stakes)
1 piece @ 35” - 1/4” flat reed (locking row)
90' - 1/4" flat oval reed (weavers)
1 piece @ 46” - 7/8 " flat reed (weaver)
1 piece @ 46" - 3/8” flat reed (last weaver)
2 pieces @ 43” - 1/2” flat oval reed (inside & outside rims)
1 piece @ 41 " - #6 round reed (rim filler)
2 pieces @ 8’ - 11/64” flat oval reed (lashing)
1 - 10" span square hardwood push-in basket handle

Soak all the stake pieces and the locking row piece for several minutes until pliable.  Find the rough sides of the stakes and mark the centers.  Lay out seven stakes horizontally in front of you, rough sides up.  Over and under weave seven vertical stakes.  Square up the base to 6 1/2” x 6 1/2”.  Weave the locking row around the base. Upsett the stakes slightly.

Split the center vertical stake on one side of the basket in half lengthwise to the locking row.   (You now have an odd number of stakes.)  Taper 6” - 8” of the end of a long length of 1/4” flat oval reed down to half its width.  Starting between the split stake, continuous weave 3 - 4 rounds while the basket is flat on the table so that the sides flare outward gradually. At this point, begin the Cat’s Head shaping process by pressing upward on the center three stakes and pulling the corners downward simultaneously.  This will need to be done after every round of weaving until the bottom is firmly in the correct shape.  Continue to weave allowing the diameter to grow outward gradually until the basket measures 11” across and the sides are 6” tall. Taper the last 6” - 8” of the 1/4” flat reed and end one stake to the right of the split stake.  Now, treating the split stake as one, start and stop weave one row of 7/8” flat reed and one row of 3/8” flat reed.

Fold and tuck all of the outside stakes into the inside of the basket.  Clip the remaining inside stakes flush with the top row of weaving.  Slide the tails of the handle down into several rows of weaving.  Soak and fit the inside and outside rims.  Fit the #6 round rim filler.  Double-lash the rims and filler down tightly with the 11/64” flat oval reed.

Sign and date your basket.  Good job!