Woolly Basket

As a spinner and a scientist, I find fiber animals endlessly thrilling. With the amazing diversity of breeds around the world and the great variety of fibers available, there is always more to learn. Over the years, my collection of fiber has been growing and includes lock samples, skeins, and swatches, as well as descriptions and pictures of sheep breeds and other fiber animals. I consider it to be a kind of gallery.

For quite some time, I’ve been thinking about how to design a quick, useful, and beautiful textile project that could help make breed explorations accessible and enjoyable. One day, the idea of a handspun container made of the very fiber that it should contain popped into my mind. When I pack fiber samples for workshops, demonstrations, and events, I usually pack them in bags and boxes, taking care that everything stays together. A handspun basket would be just the thing!

Sabine washed and prepared Coburg Fox fleece and knitted several swatches to try different needle sizes. Read more about spinning red sheep breeds and find the woolly basket recipe in the Summer 2020 issue of Spin Off. Photo by Matt Graves

Planning a Woolly Basket

With a five-sided, open-top box in mind, I thought about knitting, crocheting, Tunisian crocheting, or weaving that shape. All of these methods would work well, but I tried knitting first. No matter which technique I chose, creating flaps that would be sewn together would add extra structure.