About

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This style basket was traditionally used by the early trappers, and were woven out of black ash or white oak. Most pack baskets today are made with a high-quality reed to create these strong and light weight carriers. Students will learn how to weave and shape this pack basket with the “belly”, to create the roomy pack basket shape. As the basket is finished, a hardwood handle will be lashed into the rim for easy of carrying. Students will complete the backpack by applying a protective coat of stain or oil finish, and then attaching the custom strapping. These pack baskets are perfect for carrying your next picnic to the park, or for your trip to the farmers market. 

Materials Fee: $70. Bring cash or check payable to BARN to beginning of class.

Skill Level: All skill levels welcome. This workshop is open to ages 14 and older.

Instructor: 
Karen Sherwood began her basket weaving journey creating vessels useful for wilderness survival and woven with materials gathered from nature. Over the last 25 years, her understanding of weaving and the preparation of traditional materials has become much more refined while her interest in creating “working” baskets remains strong. Karen carries a passion for exploring historic basketry techniques and styles and brings this to her work by harvesting and preparing her own basketry materials. She shares her connections to the plants and their remarkable uses when teaching each project. With these connections, each project becomes a unique blend of past and present. “It is with this vision we hope to honor the plants and the traditions they have grown from to give insight to, not only the past but how it can illuminate our future”. Karen teaches ethnobotany programs with the Washington State Department of Ecology. She leads basketry classes throughout the county and as well as other earth- centered programs through Earthwalk Northwest, a wilderness school she and her husband founded in 1996. More info at: www.earthwalknorthwest.com.