Читать книгу Basket-Weaving Crafts - Virve Boesch - Страница 9

Reed/rattan

Rattan is a natural material harvested from a rattan palm, which is a vine-like plant that grows in equatorial or tropical forests. It is available for purchase in several diameters and is sold in many different processed forms. While rattan is the name of the general material, the word “reed” is more commonly used to described various processed rattan products commonly used in basket making, so you will see the word “reed” used frequently in this book. Reed refers only to certain specific products made from the inner core of the plant, not to all products made from the plant.

Both resistant and flexible, rattan is suitable for making many types of objects. Due to its uniformity and minimal soaking time, it is a great choice for amateur basket makers. That’s why this book exclusively focuses on rattan. If you want to vary the colors and textures of your objects, you can use certain other semi-rigid materials, like iron wire or paper strands, for example, to add variety.

Most projects in this book are created using reed made from rattan core (harvested from the core of the rattan plant). You can purchase reed and other rattan products from craft stores and specialty basket-making suppliers.

The natural color of rattan is light brown. You can also buy it stained in a wide range of colors, or you can make your own dyes to stain your own rattan.

Depending on the type, diameter, and quantity of the rattan or reed, it is usually sold either in a 1 lb. (500g) bundle or in a ½ lb. to 1 lb. (250 to 500g) coil.

Rattan in any form must be stored in a dry, dark, and dust-free place.

Raw rattan

As the name indicates, raw rattan is rattan in its natural state. It is the entire stalk of the rattan, not just a part of it as many other rattan products are. Its diameter varies from " (2mm) to more than 2" (5cm). Its hue and thickness depend on the species of the plant it is harvested from. Because of its strength, it is mainly used for manufacturing furniture, but thinner variants are also used for decorative objects.

Peeled rattan

This is raw rattan that is debarked and sanded. Its thickness varies. It is used to manufacture furniture and to provide the structure of objects in basket making.

Cane

Cane is obtained from rattan bark/skin, which is treated and cut into caning strands/pieces ranging from "–⅛" (1.6–4mm) in diameter. It is often used for caning seats. It has one shiny side and doesn’t take dyes well.

Reed

The general term “reed” groups together the materials made by machining rattan core using dies.

•Round reed

This is rattan core cut into cylindrical sections.

In the United States, round reed is sized with a numbering system where a larger number indicates a larger diameter. For example, #0 round reed is approximately " (1mm) in diameter and #15 round reed is approximately ½" (12mm) in diameter. (Most of the rest of the world simply uses the metric measurement.) Round reed is flexible and suitable for weaving and is used to create most objects in basket making and in this book.

•Flat reed, flat oval reed, and other reed shapes

These are strips of reed that are flat on both sides (flat), flat one one side and oval on the other (flat oval), or some other shape (such as oval on both sides), available in varying widths. Flat reed is particularly suitable for connectors.