USA Flag Pocket Basket MATERIALS

USA Flag Pocket Basket
MATERIALS:
3/8" Flat Reed Natural (Stakes, Weavers & Inside Rim) - Approx. 1/4 lb.
3/8" Flat Reed Dyed Rit Wine - Approx. 16 ft.
1/2" Flat Reed Dyed Rit Denim - Approx. 8 ft.
7/8" Flat Reed Natural (Stakes)
#2 Round Reed Natural (Twining Around Base)
One 26" Piece Of 5 Ply Jute (Hanger)
Four 2" Wood Stars Painted White (Drill Small Hole Thru 1 Pt. Of Each Star)
18" Of 1 Ply. Jute (Four Stars) & Natural Raffia For Bow

Preparation:
Cut From 3/8" Flat Reed Natural - 9 Stakes @ 30"
Cut From 7/8" Flat Reed Natural - 1 Stake @ 28"
Base: Soak all stakes till plyable. Mark centers on wrong side with pencil on each stake.
Lay the 3/8" stakes vertically on table with wrong side up. Weave your 7/8" stake across center marks starting UNDER the 1st stake. Weaving Under/Over. It may be helpful to use a weight to hold your stakes in place.
TRUE Base To 9 1/2" X 7/8"
Using an extra long piece of #2 round reed, starting off center, hook onto an under stake and twine around base twice. Be sure twining is snug against the 7/8" base stake. End twining in usual manner. Moisten stakes around twined area and UPSET all stakes.
Weaving Sides: Start/Stop - Over/Under Pattern
Lay basket on it's side with base closest to you. I have found that you have better control of the pocket shaping if you will weave your basket laying on it's side, rather than sitting it up. When weaving around the sides of your basket, be sure that your sides are going straight up. You don't want your sides to pull in or flair out. Also, when weaving along the long sides of your basket, moderately push down on your stakes. This will prevent your pocket from flaring too much.
1st Row: Weave 3/8" flat weed - Wine
2nd Row: Alternate to 3/8" flat reed - natural
Contine weaving and alternating Wine & natural...until you have a total of 6 rows 3/8" natural
13th Row: Weave 1/2" flat reed - Denim
14th Row: Alternate to 3/8" flat reed - Natural
Continue weaving and alternating 1/2" Denim & Natural...until you have a total of 3 rows of 1/2" Denim
Pack your basket. Sit basket UP. Cut your 7/8" stakes off even with your top Denim row. Feed a piece of 3/8" flat natural (with wrong side towards inside) down along side of basket on top of 7/8" flat stake (under your dyed rows of weaving). This is a FAKE stake. Cut it the same height as the remaining stakes on the long sides of the basket. Be sure to do this on both sides of your basket.
Matchstick Border:
With 3/8" flat reed natural add your Inside Rim. You will be adding another row, but it will NOT be woven. Set this row above the top row of Denim on the INSIDE of your basket. Be sure that you puch out on the stakes when laying your inside rim, otherwise, your rim will pull the top in. Also, be sure to overlap the inside rim a couple of inches. Use clothespins to hold rim in place. ALL your stakes will be on the outside the Inside Rim. Moisten the remaining stake tops.
Take a stake and bend it towards the inside of the basket and feed it between the top Denim row and Inside Rim to the right side of the stake. The stake will be pointing away from the basket. Repeat this step all around the rim until all stakes are tucked. Check to make sure that each stake is fed to the right of that same stake. Moisten the remaining tops of the stakes. Take a stake and bend it up/over to the Ridge over 2 stakes. Hold it in place and cut the stake at least a 1/4" past the 2nd stakes. Lift the 2nd stake and tuck the cut stake behind it and pull the 2nd stake back down. Go to the stake just right of thstake you started with and repeat this step. Continue until you have 2 stakes left. You no longer have the luxury of pushing the 2nd stake up so you can tuck. Take the left stake and bed it to the right up/over 2 stakes, cutting it a little longer than the rest and crop the top some, tuck it under the 2nd stake. Take the last stake and bend it to the right up/over 2 stakes, but it extra long (cut it up to the 3rd stake to the right). Taper the top and tuck it under the 2nd stake. It will help to moisten the stakes to eliminate possible splitting. Your basket is ready to manicure and stain with Weaver's Stain in Oak, Walnut or Driftwood. We used Walnut for that olde world look.
If your basket flairs more than you would like, take a piece of string or jute and tie it around your basket. Once basket is dry, remove the string.
To add jute hanger, insert end of 5 ply jute between rim and top of basket at each corner and knott off ends. Embellish your basket with a raffia bow & stars.
Variations: At Christmas alternate Christmas colors instead of denim and wine. Embellish with Christmas greenery. Makes a great door basket.