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Handcrafted Willow Baskets by Katherine Lewis

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St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Steve@DunbarGardens
Joyce country style skib

Joyce country style skib

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This entry was posted in baskets and tagged basketry, baskets, Dunbar Gardens, Katherine Lewis, potato basket, Saint Patrick's Day, willow, willow baskets by Steve@DunbarGardens. Bookmark the permalink.
© 2008-2022 Steven Lospalluto & Katherine Lewis. All rights reserved.

Dunbar Gardens

16586 Dunbar Road Mount Vernon, WA 98273
baskets@dunbargardens.com
Katherine: 360-941-5718
Steve: 360-428-3076
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Two recent garden baskets that Katherine made from Two recent garden baskets that Katherine made from our willows. Swipe to see individual photos. We are finally getting into some nice summer garden harvest weather here in the Pacific Northwest. Katherine weaves several baskets that can be handy in the garden - this garden style, a flower basket which is similar with a larger base and lower sides, a round gathering basket and her potluck basket. This garden basket is probably the most popular.
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#willowbaskets #gardenbasket #willowbasketmaker #katherinelewis #dunbargardens #farmtobasket #skagitgrown #skagitmade #skagitvalley #nbomember #basketsmadetobeused
We are sorry to learn that Peter Juriga has died. We are sorry to learn that Peter Juriga has died. Katherine writes: "I met Peter in 2015 at the 3rd International Festival of Willow and Wickerwork in Poland. Shortly afterward he contacted me and asked if I would work with him on translating his book “Basketry- the Art of Willowcraft” from Slovakian to English.
My role was to assist in taking the English translation provided by a non-basketmaker and have it correctly represent the techniques described for an English speaking willow basket audience. 
Working with Peter on this translation was fascinating! We had many long discussions about exactly how to express a willow border, or the weave used in a base, names of tools, how to describe the curve in the butt end of a willow rod….on which side of that curve are you cutting your slype and where does the slype go when inserted into the base...the list goes on and on.
In the process I learned a lot about basketry in “Middle Europe” (Peter’s distinction) and also about how to write out and describe basketry techniques. 
Peter’s book is an incredible resource of willow work and particularly the history and methods used in Slovakia and nearby in weaving with willow. 
My condolences to Peter’s family and friends. His contribution to the world of willow was important and he will be missed."
You can find out more about the book and Peter at his website https://worldbasketry.com/
Black-capped Chickadee fledglings are around the f Black-capped Chickadee fledglings are around the farm constantly begging to be fed. Photos of them perched on willows near a suet feeder. For extra credit the first one is perched on an Oxford Violet, second is a Dugpil, the third is a Stewartstown, the fourth is in an old gnarly crack willow and the fifth is in a Stewartstown tree.
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#birdsonthefarm #dunbargardens #blackcappedchickadee #salix
Now for some of the bad guys (depending on your pe Now for some of the bad guys (depending on your perspective of course).
Photos 1 and 2 show a Spittle Bug. The 2nd photo shows the green nymph after I have smeared the spittle away.
Photos 3 and 4 show Leaf Miners. Front of the leaf damage and the sawfly larvae eating the leaf on the back side. This is a particularly bad example, often seen with just one on a leaf.
Photos 5 and 6 show a leaf fold and inside the sawfly larvae. There are several moths and sawflies that use leaf folds, rolls and tiers on the willows. Moths usually have silk webbing inside to hold them together.
Photos 7 and 8 show a leaf tier or several leaves glued together with a larvae inside.
Photo 9 is a Pontania species sawfly that creates these leaf galls with the larvae inside them.
Photo 10 is a Common Willow Calligrapha which is a beetle that does eat the leaves though there are seldom many of them. 
Finally I will add that I seldom do anything more than squish a few when I see them. Knowing what you are looking at is always the first step anyway.
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#basketrywillows #dunbargardens #salix #whodoesntlikeeatingwillow
Some of the beneficial insects in the willows. Fir Some of the beneficial insects in the willows. First is the well known Ladybird Beetle. The second and third photos are Soldier Beetles. The fourth photo is a Yellow Dung Fly. The females are apparently insect predators.
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#basketrywillows #dunbargardens #salix #beneficialinsects
A Friday flashback to 2011. We just saw that the f A Friday flashback to 2011. We just saw that the first photo is in a book about Czech and Slovak basketry thanks to Peter Juriga apparently. It’s included as an example of willow basketry in other parts of the world. These are some of my favorite photos of Katherine’s baskets and our gone now cat Spike who was the ultimate basket cat. Such a great poser with this shot of three different side weaves on the log baskets. Thanks to our friend Vladimir Dvorak on facebook for sharing the book link.
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#basketcat #willowbaskets #willowbasketmaker #katherinelewis #dunbargardens #farmtobasket #skagitvalley #skagitmade #basketsmadetobeused
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