New England basketry
Lynn spend many years living in New Hampshire and was inspired by the basketry traditions of New England. Traditionally, baskets in the North East were made from the growth ring splints pounded out from brown ash or black ash trees and from basketry willow.
The origin of the shapes and techniques used in traditional New England baskets is lost in the mists of time, but most likely developed from a combination of the traditions of indigenous First Nation peoples of the region (Abenaki, Penobscot, Wampanoag, Mashantucket Pequot and Nipmuc) and the basketry traditions brought to the area by the first colonists from the British Isles.
Lynn makes baskets based upon traditional New England shapes and used reed that has been processed from the tropical rattan vine. The patterning of some of the baskets is accomplished by using twills (skipping over two or three spokes instead of the usual over one/under one).
Apron basket - Twill weave with smoked & natural reed
Market basket - Plain weave with Shaker tape handle
Yarn baskets - Plain weave with smoked and natural reed of various sizes.
Laundry basket - Plain weave with smoked, dyed and natural reed of various sizes.
Quatrefoil baskets - Twill weave with dyed reed. The twill on this basket shifts at the corners and the centers of the basket causing four curved lopes to rise at the corners. A plain weave is used to finish the top of the basket The folklore of this pattern is that the Shakers were the first to adapt the traditional quatrefoil design - usually seen in architecture and fabrics - to a basket technique.
One-three twill basket with dyed and natural reed. This unusual twill results in a swirling pattern around the basket - and it demands concentration!
Photographs by Lynn Martin Graton unless otherwise noted.