Alternate fiber arts

Two weeks down, thirteen to go!

I know how bad that sounds.  This is always the tough part of the semester, when I feel that I am still setting expectations for students, and they're getting used to me and I'm getting used to them.  By about week four, things get good for a while, and I stop counting until week 11 or so rolls around.  At that point, we're all counting down to finals, for better or for worse.

Meanwhile, I mentioned last time that I had a few things to share from our busy Labor Day weekend.  First, Younger Daughter, all got up for her feis.

It's hard to get pictures of her in action dancing, without catching other kids in the photos, too (and I don't want to put some other kid out there on the internet), hence the pose.  Rick did manage to get one action shot without identifiable extras, though:

That gives some idea.

As for the other activities of the weekend, I have to share something that I got myself at the Go Native Days gathering in Tehachapi.  I have long wanted a Native California basket.  In fact, I have long wanted to learn to weave a Native California basket, and someday I will.  However, learning to basketweave generally starts with gathering the basketmaking materials with a master weaver, then waiting for those materials to cure, etc, etc (not unlike asking someone how to knit and being told, "Here's a sheep"; it's an awesome way to learn, and maybe even a right way to learn, but not something I could take on right now).  The time will come when I can do that, but it isn't now.  So instead, I finally committed to buying one, and came home with this.

Isn't it lovely?  It's a Kumeyaay basket.  The Kumeyaay people were split, many many years ago, by the arbitrary imposition of what is now the U.S./Mexico border; the weaver of this basket comes from Baja California.  The pattern is called a whirlwind pattern, and it satisfies my abiding love of spirals.

It's woven of juncus grass; the black is dyed juncus.  It smells nice, too (it must be the knitter in me, but when I see a basket, I automatically smell it; am I the only one who does this with yarn?).

Now, while I do know that I can't dedicate myself appropriately to learning to weave something like this, Rick and I took advantage of the fact that there were weavers at the event who were offering lessons in things like basket starts and pine needle baskets.  We headed off to the pine needle basket booth, and an hour and a bit later, had these.

Little bitty pine needle basket trays.  (Very, very little bitty.)  They're made of pine needles and raffia.  And because one should always give one's first basket away, I'm going to sew hair clips to the backs of these for the girls.  And because I am an honest person I'll answer for you this question:  Guess which one is mine and which is Rick's?

Hint:  Engineers apparently make very good basket weavers.

(His is on the right.)