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Well, I've learned quite a bit since first starting to weave these Cherokee Baskets.

So rather than going back and trying to update the instructions with more info, I decided to just add a blog on weaving tips.

This is the most up to date info.

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Difference between Reed and Cane weaving

All of my baskets are currently made using commercial reed and cane and commercial dyes and are thus considered contemporary baskets. So these tips pertain to that style of weaving. I've tried to keep the weave as traditional as possible, since I'm Cherokee, that's important. As with all artistic endeavors, you'll find that the basketweaver will have their own style in weaving the basket, so there are many ways to begin but a Cherokee Basket will always look basically the same. The cane is the same that is used for chair caning. Although you can use the natural cane, which has the outer hard skin still on, I have found that using the Hamburg cane gives you a much tighter and even looking basket. Hamburg cane is that cane which has been bleached and stripped of this outer hard skin or shell. This type of cane is used in making the contemporary Cherokee Double Woven Baskets. Although you can use flat reed or oval reed to make these and in some cases, this might be the pre...
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Flowing Water Weaving

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Look very carefully at the middle weavers in this basket bottom, bottom photo. This is the way you need to start the basket in order for the design to come out right on the outside bottom. The top center weaver begins Under 3 to the left and Over 3 to the right; the bottom center weaver begins Over 3 to the left and Under 3 to the right. This is looking at the middle and when weaving from the middle to the outside edges. When turning the rim at the Over 6 row, you will have more of the Over 6 going to the outside than the inside, so the turn isn't exactly in the middle of this row. This will bring the basket side up even with the inside bottom just before beginning the outside bottom. I did not tuck the inside weavers to the bottom on this basket and I think it makes for a much fuller and better bottom. Instead I just cut the inside weavers and they will automatically tuck as you weave the outside weavers of the bottom; Now looking at the top photo of the basket outside bottom; at ...
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Beginners

If you are just weaving your first double woven, you might prefer the Eva Wolfe Double Woven since it is a smaller basket. This basket can be woven with just plain natural cane without using dyes, the only difference in weaving it this way, is that you will not have the colors. This however, would be a good way to learn just the weave and not have to worry about dyes or color bleeding problems when just beginning to weave. Remember the plain natural cane has a hard outer shell, where as the Hamburg/bleached cane has that outer shell removed. Weaving either plain will do. Same with the Oklahoma Double Wall, this can very easily be woven without any colors. Once again no worries with dyes or color bleeding. This is how I learned the Oklahoma Double Wall using just plain #2 reed. Then as you get better at the weaving you can branch out into dyes and experiment with colors.
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