Just back from windy wilds of Connemara where I did a four day course in traditional Irish basket weaving with Ciaran Hogan. I’d made a basket once before – strongish but bockety and a wee bit on the holey side – so my aim this time was to learn to do a better shape and weave.

Ciaran’s a great teacher, very clear, very patient, and generous with his time and energy. We were a class of just seven and he let us go our own way and make different things. Two of the seven had done courses before and they tackled more difficult projects than the rest of us, Ben making an oval shopping basket, Eddie trying his hand at a creel (turf baskets which used to be strapped across donkeys in pairs).

The workshop and (lovely) accommodation are beside scenic Lough na Fooey. The weather pretty much changed on the hour – sunshine, rolling mists, drizzle, sleet and snow. Mobile reception was zero, except for some sweet spot down the road at some wall I never did locate, and the internet was slow. The mountains blocked out the world (which felt good) and the weaving blocked out all of my brain’s incessant inner chatter (even better). It was sort of like meditation with something beautiful and useful to take home at the end!

For larger photos and snippets of info about the basket making click on the first photo and continue clicking the right arrow.

The willow beds. The willow gets cut each year, right back to the ground, and each year it yields more rods but smaller. You need different thicknesses of willow to make baskets.

Willow varieties are different colours. The rods are let dry then soaked for several days before use – they can’t be woven dry.

Ciaran checks my work. A hoop the same diameter as the base will help the sides go up straight; a wider hoop will encourage the sides to go out.

Base for my large bread basket. The bright orangey yellow is fresh (undried) willow and will turn red as it dries. It will also shrink a bit so we used it very sparingly and had to be sure to weave it tight and close.. The yellow outer ring will dry to a paler yellow.

I’ve pushed rods into the base to form the uprights.

Anna is weaving a rim – bending down the uprights to weave it.

Mags is putting a foot on her basket to give it a good strong base.

Some basket making tools: a weight holds the basket still as you work, a rapping iron for tapping down the weave, a bodkin for opening and holding a gap between rods, a tin of grease helps too.

Intermission for some Connemara scenery…

Brrr

Loch na Fooey

Seems I have a weaving face. Here I’m half way through making the rim.

Eddie at the start of making a small creel. Creels are made upsidedown. Traditionally they were made outdoors, sticking the heavy uprights into the earth to form the frame. Eddie is using a wooden base with holes drilled in. The basket will be pulled out of it when it’s completed.

Sides of the creel are done and the first uprights bent down to start the base.

Ben finishing an oval basket.

Eddie learning a new weave while making a large turf basket.

Some traditional baskets in Joe and Dolores’ house (where we had a yummy lunch every day) including a Catalan fish platter which Mags, Ann and Mark had a go at on our last day. They looked fantastic.

Ciaran runs 4 day courses in Loch na Fooey several times a year, as does his father, master craftsman Joe Hogan. Ciaran also runs 2 day non-residential courses at his workshop at The Craft Village (Ceardlann) in Spiddal.

You’ll find info on his lovely baskets and the next available course here: http://www.ciaranhoganbaskets.com/

And you can see examples of Joe Hogan’s amazing creations here:   http://www.joehoganbaskets.com/portfolio/artistic-baskets/    I guarantee you’ve never seen the like before!

Below are the baskets I came home with. Delighted with them and will definitely be doing another course sometime soon.