It’s no secret…I love Brambles! And with good reason.
Don’t get me wrong I have lost count of how many times I have turned the air blue because it has unwaterproofed my new waterproofs, gone straight through my thorn proof gloves or embarrassed me while teaching by sending me face down in the mud mid sentence.
But I can forgive all that as this humble plant has saved my bacon many times! Run out of basketry materials? Need some cordage? Stuck in the middle of nowhere with stomach ‘issues’? Running a foraging lesson and everything you expected to be there has vanished?
Don’t worry, bramble has got your back.
I could go into all the uses but there's definitely a blog in here that has done that already. So I'm going for my favourite, the straight off the plant spring basket. I love it so much because it’s the first foraged craft of the new year for me. It gets my eye back into the plants around me after the dark winter months and renews my love of foraging without fail every year.
In early spring the long slender stems are racing for the light and from late March I am keeping a close eye on the growth, just waiting for the right time to harvest.
The lengths need to be as thin and long as possible for the weaving sides of the basket so crawl around in the undergrowth to find the source of the runner you have chosen. More often than not it will be much further away than you originally thought and will give you lots of extra length.
The spikes will be softer on this new growth but some will still pack a punch so make sure you remove them with the back of a saw or ruin your gloves by running them along the length of the runner.
Don’t skimp on this part, you will regret it if you do. Those soft spikes that you weren't worried about when you picked it pack a real punch when they have dried out!
For the uprights you will need to source runners about twice the thickness of your weavers.
There is no need to splice the spokes at the base. Just overlay them and start weaving.
When you are happy with the size of your base, bend your spokes to turn them into uprights and build the sides of your basket.
The size of your basket will depend on personal preference and the resources available.
When you’re happy with it use the uprights to lock the weaving into place. Here I have used a simple fold over and lock method, with the last upright slotting through the first to hold it all in place.
Considering just how rough and ready these little baskets are, they last surprisingly well. Sadly they lose that beautiful green over time and they will shrink and become a little looser as they dry out (it's always worth bearing that in mind when you are making them and try to make the weave as tight as possible to compensate for shrinkage).
The baskets on the left were made about 3 years ago and I still use them now. The basket on right was about 6 months ago.
But don’t just stop at baskets, this is such a versatile resource. I have made trays, baskets and my favourite make of this year has to be my pot drainer which I made using sycamore for the frame.
So next time you’re cursing the bramble that's grabbed you by the ankle and left you in a tangled heap on the floor in front of your giggling peers, just take a deep breath and remember all of the wonderful things this humble plant can do for you.