Meerkat World Tour Giveaway

Remember this little cutie?

Alchemy the meerkat came to visit me earlier this year and we made a horsehair basket together, for her to take on her world tour. What a long way she has come!

Now, Alchemy has returned home to the UK and is ready for the big finale...she will be going on one last trip to live with ~some lucky person~ to live for the rest of her natural knitted life! She comes with a whole treasure chest of goodies, like a wedding trousseau...

Alchemy is knitted by Heather of NiftyKnits.etsy.com and will soon be awarded in a free giveaway! Go to niftyknits blog for the latest news on how to get Alchemy to come live at your house!

Time to Vote!

• Time to vote for our favorite basket in the asymmetrical exchange!
  
• If you are a member of the Pine Needle Group Yahoo email list, you will be able to vote.
  
• Please sign into yahoo and access the Pine Needle Group polling site
  
• all members will receive one vote, whether or not they participated in the exchange.
  
• If you are not already a member of the Pine Needle Group Yahoo email list, you may join and vote as well!
  
• The winner will receive a gift from my shop at MakeABasket.etsy.com
  pamela
  
  

Final Exchange Basket Received: Nancy Gildersleeve to Debra Steinman

The final basket in our exchange has been received! And for the reveal, we will hear from Debra Steinman:

I received my basket from Nancy Gildersleeve five days ago. It's using a darker colored pine needle, and waxed linen. The basket it self, is completely coiled with pine needles ... (no caps). The basket is coiled in such a way that the coiled layers are not all connecting which achieves a beautiful asymetrical affect.


Nancy thanks for the basket it's beautiful!


Wow, aren't they all great!???!! I am very pleased at how this exchange turned out.

We will vote on our favorite basket for this exchange, stay tuned! The favorite basket maker will receive a prize from my MakeaBasket.etsy.com shop!

Exchange Basket Received: Roy Burkhart to Lori Tourish

We are getting to the last exchanges. Here is the latest, Roy Burkhart sent his lovely original to Lori Tourish, and here's what she told us:

After stalking my various shipping carriers for the last few weeks, I finally walked to the mailbox hoping to see a missing key for the package slot....crossing my fingers I opened my box hoping to find the key....and there it was! Woo hoo! My neighbors must think I lost my mind, because I was so excited to get home and open the box!

What I found was a beautifully crafted piece of art that I will be displaying proudly!

The base looks to be a undulating piece of driftwood, the pineneedle coils wrap this way and that, it also includes 3 walnut slices that add to the beauty. Not sure of the wrapping material but looks to be a linen or cotton or sinew, naturally colored. My son said "Wow, that's cool!" He's right!


Thanks Roy, it's beautiful and I will enjoy it for many years to come!

Roy told me more about his piece, which he calls "The Flight of the Butterfly:"


The base is a small piece from the weird tree in my backyard. One of the dogs brought it in. I shaped it a little, saned it smooth, mostly, and use some Natural Danish Oil which darkened it. I drilled holes where necessary but not everywhere. I've been doing this for a while on gourds and other pieces of odd wood, calling it "unholey coiling" because "less holey coiling isn't as funny...





I am loving how this exchange is turning out, aren't you?

Exchange Received: Gerri Swanson to Marianne Barnes

Another great basket has arrived! This one is from Gerri to Marianne, but Marianne was having some difficulties posting, so it will be introduced by it's maker, Gerri:

Hello everyone,

I have been asked by Marianne Barnes to let everyone know she has received her basket! They are having some terrible storms in her part of South Carolina, so her internet is down. She received it today and was so excited she called me. I am her exchange person who sent her basket. I was of course thrilled that she is delighted with it!! She will have to wait (possibly until Monday or later) for internet service to return. Then she will describe it to all of you.

In the meantime; it has been great fun to be a part of this, my first exchange. I am eagerly awaiting the next one!
So thanks to all who have participated! The inspiration is incredible!



Thank goodness, Marianne's internet connection is back, and she wrote:
I received the most incredible basket from Gerri. I have asked her to send more photos of her baskets to go in the book I am writing right now on New and different materials for weaving and coiling. I have heard of bullwhip algae but had never seen any. It is soooo cool! The basket was coiled with palm stems and had this bullwhip algae around the top. The start was an agate slice. she also included a lavendar wand. I am so thrilled. The basket is beautiful. thank you so much Gerri! One day soon my husband and I will take the trip out west.
Thanks Pam for organizing this wonderful exchange. what fun!

Exchange Basket Received: Lynn Hoyt to Karyl Jo Hartsog

Here's another beautiful exchange basket, from Lynn Hoyt to Karyl Jo Hartsog! KJ wrote:

I have received a beautifully crafted basket from Lynn Hoyt. This is extra fun because Lynn was my exchange partner too. The basket is coiled with all delicious smelling Carolina sweetgrass. I mean it. It smells good enough to eat! The binder is black and I would guess it is waxed linen?
I use mostly raffia so let me know if I am wrong here. There are bright sparkly blue beads among the floating and intertwined coils. The smell and sea green color of the sweet grass , the turquoise colored beads and the spiral created from the stitching remind me of last 4th of July. I spent July 4th 2009 on Mertle Beach South Carolina! Fireworks Lynn. A treasure of a basket. Thank You so much.
We all learn and get enspired from these exchanges even if one didn't participate this time. I am glad the whole group will vote for their favorite.
Thank you Pamela for hosting a fun exchange. I love my new sweetgrass basket.

Exchange Basket Received: Jessica Pitts to Donna in WA

Exchange Basket Received: Jessica Pitts to Donna in WA

This one is a sculpural animal! Donna writes:

Jessica writes that this is her first asymmetrical basket. She calls it Little Blue Cat. She used blue twine to coil the pine needles. Blue is actually one of my favorite colors. Jessica, I think you did a wonder job for your first asymmetrical basket. Thank you so much for this adorable gift. I sure hope my cat doesn't get upset about another cat in the house.


great idea! Next exchange perhaps will be animals? what do you all think?

Exchange Basket Received: Marianne Barnes to Ruth Anne Danger

Here's another beautiful colorful one, from Marianne Barnes to Ruth Anne Danger. Ruth Anne wrote:

When I got home from my Wed. pine needle basket class today my package was waiting for me. It was from Marianne Barnes of SC, What a joy it turned out to be. It is so very unlike my baskets it just jumped out of the box right into my heart. It just sings to me. A song of vibrant colors and earthy tones all twined together turning the attached gourd into wonderful basket. I am taking the description from the note enclosed with it so you will have the proper description.

The gourds was dyed with Trans tint dyes. The coiling was done with Danish cording and mizihiki. The pod is a Jacaranda pod from Florida.
The exchange has ben such a learning experience as well as such a fun time. Thanks to everyone and Pam you get a extra hug with your thanks.


What a wonderful variety of coiling we are having in this exchange! I hope you all are enjoying it as much as i am. I love the floating coils and the jacaranda pod in this one!