Large Hayve basket made with river rush. Dimensions: Diameter 36cm Height 12cm.

Small Hayve basket - created at a 2 day workshop with Tim Johnson November 2021. Sarah learnt this basket at Tim’s very first Hayve workshop and found it an absolute joy to take part in the beginnings of reviving this heritage basket and learn this traditional basketry technique.

Once used by fisherman for carrying their bait, this incredibly rare basket is so special because it is an example of continuous braiding - a newly found traditional technique of the British Isles. Original Hayve Basket measurements recorded by Tim: Base 26 x 24cm Wide. 15.5 - 16cm High. Tim initially spotted this basket in the window of a small privately owned museum in Thurso on the Scottish north coast. Made with locally abundant Soft Rush (Juncus effusus), he went on to discover 2 similar baskets made from heather on Orkney. What makes this basket so special is that until now, Tim had found no documentation of traditional use of the continuous braiding technique, also known as Neolithic braiding in Northern Europe.

Working in rush harvested locally from the Somerset Levels, over 2 days we learnt the braiding technique and tension required to make this beautifully shaped basket. There’s an ancient rhythm and journey when making this basket, one which begins with creating the more complex border and reaches completion with simple plaiting and threading away.

Sarah’s first small basket, although much smaller and shallower than the original, may not enable her to catch any fish, ( energetic crustacean bait would be able to jump right out!) but it did enable Sarah to learn a new to her, but very old way to weave, and gifted Sarah the honour of being at the beginnings of this revival.

Sarah’s second larger Hayve basket, again made with local Somerset rush material, this time harvested herself, really helped Sarah to hone the continuous braiding technique and begin to understand the subtleties of the tension required to create the form.