Basket weaving is an ancient art form that has been and is used by every culture in the world for storage, transportation of goods, furniture, art design and various other purposes. There is no machine which can create a basket, so all baskets are handmade. No two baskets are exactly alike even when made using the same pattern and by the same weaver. Each basket has its own shape and style.

Baskets can be made from a variety of materials such as reed, wood strips, yarn, birch bark, waxed linen, etc. Materials for baskets need to either be flexible or able, using water, to become flexible. This ability to be flexible or pliable allows the materials to be formed into the desired shape. Without water reed, cane, and wood strips could crack or break.

Reed and cane, common materials used in basket making come in a variety of sizes from 11/64th of an inch wide to over an inch wide. Reed comes from a vine that grows in the rain forests and is harvested, processed, and cut into either flat, flat oval, or round shapes.

Twenty-four years ago I was introduced to the art of basket weaving by a friend who had recently learned how to weave at a retreat. Almost every time I visited her she would teach me a new weave or skill or variation of the over-under of basket weave.

I learned that a good foundation, or base, made for a good basket. Another lesson was that just the right amount of tension teaches the basket material the direction and shape desired. But mostly I learned that basket making is a process that requires patience, care, and a tender though thoughtful touch.

Over the years I have also learned that basket making can be filled with surprises with creations turning out a bit different than expected.

Last December 2 bags of reed were returned to me from a friend who decided that weaving wasn’t for him. As I sorted out the reed I found a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors of reed. I pondered what to make of these items and then began to weave. The basket that appeared surprised me. It was nothing I had imagined but held beauty and a memory. My friend had died three days after returning the reed to me. The basket held his memory and spirit and will be given to his wife on the 1st anniversary of his death.

Whenever I weave, I reflect on how weaving is like life. Bits and pieces, colors of all kinds, textures, people, and experiences find their way into my weaving and reflect the shaping of who I am. I contemplate that mystery called life.

In Isaiah 64 vs8 we read, “we are the clay, You are the potter.”

I have come to know a new image of God as the weaver, and I am that which is woven. How wonderful the merging of all those bits of pieces, joys and pain, gifts and blessings.

May the over-under, over-under, pieces of your life be blessed also.

-Netty Johnson, SSND