This style of basket is called a Melon Basket, it is 32cm from end to end and 23cm across, so called because the frame is set up with two circles, so that one will fit inside the other as shown.

You will need to make a God's eye at each end where the two circles cross. This allows you to set in a number of ribs, by cutting them to fit from end to end thus forming the bowl of the basket, the cane or twigs that you choose must have some flexibility as does the material you use for the two circles, such as cane, willow rods, fruit tree prunings. Flat cane has been used here, but if you twist some strong string from bulrush, red hot poker leaves or something strong such as iris leaves it can look very nice, you might need to twist about 2 metres.

This set of images will give you an idea of how it all fits together before you start weaving.

For this basket I used an assortment of fibre scraps such as multi dyed cotton cordage, dyed cane, Watsonia leaves, seagrass dyed.







Here are the various stages of completion:





The handle of this basket is unique in that I saw this branch growing on a native shrub in my garden, I watched it for a some weeks before developing a concept --- of how I might use it for a handle, I cut it from the bush and bent and tied the tip to the thicker stem.......until it dried. I used the Melon Basket technique to develop this special piece in a more sculptural way.