Tutorial - Butterfly or Interlocking V Knot

Tutorial - Butterfly or Interlocking V Knot

Becky Bechtel

You've made a great basket. You have a plain wood handle that you really don't want to wrap entirely. Maybe it's stained and has a polyurethane coating like the one in this picture. What you need is an awesome adornment for the top of your handle. Plus this embellishment knot makes an incredibly comfortable hand grip for the wood handle. Voila! From ordinary to extraordinary in just a matter of a few minutes.

Butterfly or Interlocking V Knot

Read more →

Tutorial - Basic Handle Wrap

Tutorial - Basic Handle Wrap

Becky Bechtel

There are about as many different handle wrap ideas as there were flowers in my grandma's garden. But before you can fly with the most elaborate designs you have to learn how to do a basic handle wrap.

How do you begin a handle wrap? What happens if my wrapping reed isn't long enough? What is the secret to an inconspicuous splice? 

These are all good questions that are addressed in this simple tutorial for wrapping a very basic handle design.

Download it, save it, print it, and use it as an easy reference at your work space. Share it with your weaving friends. And please refer them to my website. There's lots more tutorials in the works.

Basic Handle Wrap

Read more →

Tutorial - French Randing with Arrows

Tutorial - French Randing with Arrows

Becky Bechtel1 comment

When I was starting out as a basket weaver I spent a lot of time looking at YouTube and instructional videos learning techniques. What I discovered was that, duh ... you don't weave baskets at your computer. And yes, most of us have tablets (I almost sleep with my iPad I love it so much :o). But it's not the handiest thing to watch and follow instruction with. (Which is what I've been trying to do and learn acrylic painting. I'm about to deem myself without any painting ability.)

I always wished that I had clear tutorials WITH PICTURES that would take me step-by-step through new techniques. I figured there were other weavers in the same boat and I could help a few of them out by putting some together.

You either already knew how to do french randing - or you just learned it in the previous tutorial. Now you're ready to add a variation to it. French Randing with Arrows.

This is such a fun technique and I thought it was perfect on this Christmas inspired basket. Her name is "Noelle" if you want to check it out.

Simply click the link below and the tutorial will open in another window. Download it, save it, print it, use it, and share it (and my website too please) with your fellow weavers.

French Randing With Arrows

Read more →

Tutorial - French Randing Technique

Tutorial - French Randing Technique

Becky Bechtel

I tried french randing very early in my weaving adventures. In my tally of successes and failures, the initial attempt definitely ended up on the failure side. I was discouraged and decided it just wasn't something that I would accomplish.

Well, a couple of years later and a lot of weaving under my belt, I gave it the old college try again. And it clicked. I hope that this tutorial will make it click for you too.

Experiment using all of one color, alternating colors of reed, or space dyed reed as shown in the tutorial.

Download and print this handy PDF tutorial for easy reference when you are weaving. 

French Randing Technique

Read more →

Tutorial - Triple Twining Arrow Technique

Tutorial - Triple Twining Arrow Technique

Becky Bechtel

You know how to triple twine or three rod wale now by the previous tutorial. Learn a variation of triple twining that will create an arrow effect.

This technique can be used for a single row to emphasize the weaving above or below it or use it in multiple rows. A block of multiple rows of this technique can add strength and structure to the middle of your basket. 

Experiment using all of one color, one piece of reed using one of three different colors, or space dyed reed as shown in the tutorial.

Download and print this handy PDF tutorial for easy reference when you are weaving. 

Triple Twining Arrow Technique

Read more →

Tutorial - Triple Twining or Three Rod Wale

Tutorial - Triple Twining or Three Rod Wale

Becky Bechtel1 comment

Triple twining, sometimes called three rod wale, is probably the most common weaving technique for using round reed. It's also the basis for other techniques - such as arrow triple twining.

It can be done continuously around the basket or with a "step up" which will make your twining look seamless with no obvious beginning or ending point. The "step up" can be very confusing to learn.

Download and print this handy PDF tutorial for easy reference when you are weaving. 

Triple Twining or Three Rod Wale

Read more →

Tutorial - Twining a Wood Base

Tutorial - Twining a Wood Base

Becky Bechtel1 comment

Are you a beginning basket weaver? Learn how to twine the spokes on a wood base with this tutorial that includes pictures. Simply download and print the PDF file and have it to use by your work space for easy reference. 

Twining a Wood Base

Read more →