Basket Case

Basket Case 

By Michelle from England

We arrived at the foot of the steps unable to quite communicate with Mr Basketweaver. Gemma’s hand gestures and basic Packinaw were impressive and we eventually kicked off our shoes and made our way into the smoky interior. Mr B disappeared down the back steps while we stood about uncomfortably wondering where to put ourselves.

On his return, bamboo strips in hand, we finally sat on the dusty floor while his quick strong hands began to work the bamboo, creating a sturdy basket case.

Eventually Mr B handed me the structure he had produced to continue forming myself. I looked at it blankly for a while, trying to work out where to take the next weave – eventually brain and hands managed to work successfully together. Meanwhile Mr B began work on two more bases, for Sue and Stitch, and bit by bit we built up the frames.

I was quite proud of my piece but Mr B’s expression suggested otherwise... When I handed over my “basket” for him to finish off the top, he looked across despairingly, querying whether I would like it fixed up! Thanks Mr B! Next week I promise to try harder.

Basket Case