Flat Harvesting Basket: the Willow 3-Peck Fruit Flat (Hasluck, 1903)

Soak the osiers until pliable. Cut eight sticks about 17 in long; set the two thickest in the screw-block 19 1/2 in apart outside, the rest between, and weave the bottom with the roughest osiers as for Hasluck's square basket. Take it out and trim it with the picking knife.

Drive nine stakes into the weaving beside the sticks along each side, and seven through the sticks at each end after opening holes with the bodkin, the eight thickest at the corners. Prick them up and gather them in a hoop.

Point eight white osiers. With no foot rim, start by driving four in beside the first stakes at the left of one 19 1/2 in side. Sitting high with the work between your knees, upset with four rods pulled tight into the bend of each stake, each in front of three stakes, behind the fourth and out (Fig. 65). Start the other four at the opposite corner, finish the tops round the corners, then add one more round with three rods.

Weave with rods in their lengths, each butt behind the next stake, left to right, until the sides are 8 in high all round outside. For each end handle push a stiff rod down beside the third stake, twist it rope-like, push its top through about 1 1/2 in below the top by the fifth stake, leave a bow, and twist it over the bow three times (Fig. 66).

Pair off a round with two rods from the back. Make the border by laying down stakes and working them round the corners (Fig. 67), finish by cramming, and trim inside and out.

Notch a bow stick at the corners, bend it to the basket's shape and tie a strainer across to hold the width. Bind in two thick split sticks a little longer than the flat, flat side inward, on four scallom rods lapped round the bow (Figs. 68-69), and weave the lid between them.