Mar 08 2009
Basket case
After watching the BBC’s excellent Victorian Farm series on TV and iPlayer, I was enthused by the notion of traditional crafts. I enjoyed watching the straw-hat weavers and the basket makers working their magic. I want to spend this year expanding my repertoire in that direction. I am happy that my bread-making has come together, so what else can I turn my hand to?
At the top of the list, unconnected though they be, sit brewing and basket-weaving. Making home brews is a bit of a beardy-man thing to do, like medieval battle re-enactments or role play board gaming. It has an air of comic juvenility to it. But it’s also a culinary skill and an ancient craft, which is what I’m aiming for. It’s also something that I can try at home with a minimum of extra tools and materials. A large bucket and somewhere to store it seem to be the principal concerns.
Basket-making is another thing entirely. Thankfully Helen knew where to look. The Four Winds Inspiration Centre (I know, what kind of comedy name is that?) work at a nearby park and do day and weekend classes in basket weaving, furniture, stone and wood carving and so on. I’ll be giving them a call as soon as I can to ask about availability. There’s a class on Saturday 9 May for round basket weaving which seems like a good place to start. Here’s to another year of learning!
You’re so ethnological you inspire me! I wanna do basket making! AND stone carving! And everything else you mention (except maybe breadmaking and brewing, for the yeast hateth me). Oh and about brewing, fear not - it’s not exclusively for beardy men - my dear friend Charlotte, who is young, female, devilishly attractive and sans beard OR a penchant for re-enactments, has been brewing for years. She makes a pretty splendid mead which knocks me off my feet. So you’d definitely be in the Charlotte category of brewers.
Actually, it may surprise you to hear that many of us “beardy-men re-enactors” (and the distinctly un-beardy women who accompany us) also like to indulge in ancient crafts like bread-making, brewing, basket weaving, stone carving etc. It, erm, goes with the territory. Obvious, really…. ;-)