Bergman Basket in Holly Berry

This basket and its sisters are a true labor of love and learning, if you'll forgive a little backstory!

My local guild study group has been working on a category of weave structures known as "tied unit weaves." Without getting into too much of the nitty gritty, this is a family of structures where two or more shafts on your loom are controlling "tie down threads," while the other shafts control your pattern threads. I've been hooked on these since trying Quigley at Madelyn Van der Hoogt's Weaver's School over the summer. The challenge of keeping three things in your mind and body at once—tabby, pattern treadle, tie down treadle—is thrilling, and I couldn't wait to try more.

Cue Bergman, one of the newer weave structures on the block, is made up of 16-thread blocks with the tie down threads in a "rosepath" sequence: 1-3-2-1-3-1-2-3. The result: gorgeous little diamonds!

I chose a fairly simple two-block design to show off these diamonds, and I couldn't be more pleased with how they interacted with my final project: this lovely basket, perfectly sized for a knitting project, a heap of mandarin oranges, or even—if you aren't as careful about keeping your feline friend away as I have been—a snoozing cat.

The basket is not just handwoven, but hand made from start to finish: my trusty sewing machine helped me with the corners of the basket, and then the binding went on with a needle, thread, and a great deal of tea.

• Dimensions: 10"x10"x4.5"
• Content: 100% cotton exterior with polyester interfacing
• Care: spot clean as necessary
• Pattern: Tiny Treasures Basket by Anna Graham of Noodlehead

Please note that our weaving studio has a feline occupant.