II. WEAVING FOUNDATIONS
The one great aim of manual training is to combine judgment, a purely mental function, and execution, a purely physical one. There seems to be no work so efficient in combining the two from the beginning as basketry. The material varies so in texture that care and judgment are required in its manipulation, and so few tools are used that the hand must do all or a greater part of the work.
In all teaching the “character of work” should be emphasized rather than the intrinsic value of that which is produced by work. The aim should be to have work complete in all its parts, relatively perfect[2]as to beauty of design and workmanship, and finished, in so far as the completed work coming from the pupil can show his intention and evince careful and diligent work.
2. I say “relatively perfect” feeling that while there is nothing absolutely perfect possible to the hand of man, the term may be used relatively for whatever makes the nearest approach to perfection.
2. I say “relatively perfect” feeling that while there is nothing absolutely perfect possible to the hand of man, the term may be used relatively for whatever makes the nearest approach to perfection.
In manual training work the procedure should be from the simple to the complex. The teacher should never hurry the different stages of the work faster than the young mind can go. The pupil must comprehend each step. Let the motto be “Not How much, but How well.”
In order to make use of the features of weaving spoken of in the first chapter it will be necessary to have a simple problem onwhich to work. Mats of various sizes are useful, may be made beautiful, and as they embody all the constructive features found in the bottom of a basket, may well be taken as the first problem.
The foundation pieces on which the weaving of a mat or the bottom of a basket is done are known as spokes because during the weaving, they radiate from a common center like the spokes of a wheel.
A finished mat of the simplest construction is shown in Figure 1, A. For this we use an odd number of spokes and a single weaver. The material required is as follows: Four pieces of No. 3 reed 12 inches long, one piece 7 inches long and a weaver of No. 2 reed. These are held together in the left hand and grouped as shown in Figure 2.
The short odd one is between the upper end of the two vertical ones and the horizontal pair is behind the vertical group. Thisbrings the three vertical spokes above, and in front of the horizontal pair. The weaver of No. 2 reed is placed as shown, Figure 2, behind the vertical group and along the top of the horizontal pair with its right hand end projecting about ¾ of an inch to the right of the vertical group.
The weaver is then brought to the right in front of the vertical group, back and down behind the horizontal group, thereby binding its own end to the spokes. (Figure 3, A, shows the exact position of the weaver at this stage.)
It next comes to the left in front of the vertical and below the horizontal group, and up behind the horizontal group to the position from which it first started. It now follows the same course once more until it has been around the group twice as shown in Figure 3, B: but the next time instead of coming down across the horizontal spokes as shown in that figure, the spokes areseparated and the under and over weaving commences as seen in Figure 4.
The left hand does the holding and the right hand the weaving. Be sure to hold the spokes out straight as the weaving is done around them in order that the weaver may be made to conform to the spokes, and not the spokes to the weaver as shown in Figure 5, A. Figure 5, B, shows the correct method. The spokes are approximately in the same horizontal plane.
When the spokes are all the same distance apart at the weaving, hold the mat down on a flat surface, Fig. 6, and continue the weaving until it is 3 inches in diameter. Figure 6 illustrates the correct position of the hands when holding the work down on a surface. Hold the spokes down with the left hand andweave with the right. This figure illustrates the weaving of a much larger mat but the principle is exactly the same. If one weaver is too short to bring the weaving to the desired size, join the weavers as shown in Figure 3, D, and continue the weaving as though the weaver were continuous, being careful to keep the weaving close together with the left hand each time it goes over and under a spoke.
Right at this point insist upon the pupils’ going slowly and weaving closely. The later satisfaction of knowing how to weave correctly will more than offset any discouragement at not seeming able to produce great results at once.
Next cut off the weaver long enough to go a little more than once around the circumference and overcast the weaving in the following manner: As the weaver comes from behind a spoke, put it over the next spoke to the right and through the last row ofweaving just before it gets to the following spoke. It then goes behind that spoke, over the next and through the weaving, as before, just before it gets to the next spoke.
Figure 7 shows one stitch of overcasting and the second stitch just ready to be pulled through. This process continues once around, when the weaver is cut off on the back side of the last spoke as shown in Figure 1, B. Finish the mat with an open border, Figure 8, A, by turning in the ends of the spokes.
Figure 8 shows another “device” to illustrate the construction of some simple open borders. These may be woven left-handed or right handed as is most convenient. In “A” one spoke goes in front of the next and inserts just before it gets to the third. In “B” one goes in front of two and inserts just before it gets to the fourth. In “C” one goes in front of three and inserts just before it gets to the fifth. In “D,” in front of four and just before the sixth. Judgment is required to get the right sized loop. The length of spoke required after overcasting can be found by trial. All spokes must be cut the same length, sharpened, and inserted equally. In these borders if the spokes are approximately an inch apart “A” will require about 2¾ inches outside of the overcasting, “B” about 4¼ inches, “C” 5½ to 6½ inches, and “D” 6½ to 8½ inches. These lengths allow for insertion.
In Figure 3, A, B, and C illustrate another method of starting a center with one weaver. In this case two pieces are split in the center and the other two are put through them with the odd one inserted as shown at A. The weaving proceeds as by the first method until two courses are woven when, instead of separating the three spokes and beginning the single weaving, the weaver is reversed as shown at B and two courses are woven the other way. The separation into singles then begins as at C. This method of splitting half of the spokes and putting the others through them is the better method of the two as it is the less difficult to hold the group while the first two rows are woven.
Figure 1, B, shows a mat the center of which was started by the second method. The spokes are of No. 4 reed and the weavers of No. 3. Four spokes are 12½ inches long and one, 7½ inches. The border is illustrated at A, Figure 8. The weaving was 3¼ inches in diameter before overcasting.
Figure 9 shows the method of starting a center with the pairing weave. At A three pieces pass through two pieces giving ten spokes. At B three going through three give twelve spokes. The split pieces are held horizontally, and the weaver, doubled in the middle, is started around the vertical group above the horizontalones as shown at A; one end being in front of the other behind the vertical group, thus forming the two weavers. The front weaver then comes to the right across the vertical group, and down behind the horizontal group. The rear one goes to the right across the back of the vertical group and down in front of the horizontal group. (B shows the weaving at this stage.) The whole group of spokes is now revolved from right to left until the horizontal group becomes vertical, C, and the weaving proceeds as before, holding the work with the left hand, weaving with the right, and revolving so that a vertical group is woven over each time. Notice that the revolution is from right to left and weaving from left to right. In the illustrated weaving, spokes of No. 4 reed are used and a weaver of No. 2 reed.[3]
3. It is wise to have the reed for the spokes and stakes two sizes larger than the weaver except in cases where the bottom is less than three inches in diameter, when a difference of one size is sufficient.
3. It is wise to have the reed for the spokes and stakes two sizes larger than the weaver except in cases where the bottom is less than three inches in diameter, when a difference of one size is sufficient.
When three pieces cross three pieces it is necessary to go around the groups three times before separating into singles, Fig. 9, D. As soon as it is possible after separating, get the spokes the same distance apart at the weaving. If they are spread apart as at E, this can be done in two courses and single weaving can be commenced. Take the rear weaver and bring it over one spoke and under the next, and so on once around until coming to the other weaver. F shows it at this stage. Notice that when a course is woven once around, the weaver comes outside of the other weaver and stops. The inside one now weaves around until it comes to the same position, with reference to the first one, that the first one held to it. Continue to weave first one and then the other, each as in single weaving, until the desired diameter is reached. Overcast as shown in Figure 10. The weavers are stopped on opposite sides of the weaving, A, and the top one is overcast to the other, B. The lower one is then overcast until it comes opposite to where the other overcasting stopped, C. Weavers can then be cut off on the back side of the weaving. If the bottom of the basket is to be woven, it must be crowned slightly, and the weaving may be done over the knee, as shown in Figure #11:di_011. (See initial.) This figure also shows the correct method of holding the hands when weaving either a bottom or a small mat.
Figure 12 shows the method of starting a sixteen spoke center. Four pieces cross four pieces, and two rows of pairing are woven around the groups of fours before they are separated into twos, A. Two rows are then woven around the pairs before separating them into singles, B. When the desired diameter is woven, overcast as shown in Figure 10.
Figure 12, C, shows the method of weaving a center having 20 spokes. Here five cross five. Three rows of pairing are woven around the groups of fives and then a pair is separated from each side of the center one of each group, forming eight pairs and foursingle spokes. These are woven around twice and then separated into singles. C shows the work just before the separation into singles.
The large mat, Fig. 1, C, with open border is made as follows: Cut 10 pieces of No. 5 reed 23 inches long. Split five in the center and put five through them. Weave center 2½ inches in diameter, as described in Figure 12, C, with a No. 2 weaver. Cut off the weavers on opposite sides, Fig. 10, A, and start with 2 No. 3 weavers, weaving until the work is 4½ inches in diameter. Notice in Figure 6 how the left hand holds the work down to the surface and the right hand does the weaving. When the weaving is 4½ inches in diameter stop the weaving as before and insert two colored weavers, weaving four rows, two on each side of the spokes. Then start the natural weavers again and weave until the weaving is seven inches in diameter. Overcast as shown in Figure 10 and finish the edge as in C, Fig. 8. Spokes want to be about 7¾ inches long outside of the overcasting and must be sharpened on the end and inserted about 1¾ inches into the weaving.
Whenever the word “about” is used the subject requires the personal judgment of the one doing the work. If there is any difference in the texture of the reeds, always select the hardest ones for the spokes and use the softest ones for weaving.