SPECIAL GUEST TEACHERS and OLYMPIA LOCATION!
Join willow basket makers, teachers, and brothers Eli and Ben Goodwin for an Irish creel workshop at the lovely Oyster Bay Farm in Olympia, WA.
Oyster Bay Farm, in rural Olympia, is about a 1.5 hour drive from Seattle (on a good traffic day) and well worth the trip. It’s a lovely place to weave a basket. You can even commune with the willow growing in the field and chat willow with the resident willow farmer, Melissa. :)
Eli and Ben are quite the renaissance men bringing many skills to the table. Get ready to learn a lot!
An Irish willow creel is a traditional, strong, and utilitarian basket woven from willow rods, historically used for carrying heavy loads like turf or peat in rural Ireland and Scotland. Key characteristics include being woven upside down, with the flexible willow rods twisted to create the structure, and featuring distinctive gaps in the sides that form natural handles. Creels vary regionally and were adapted by the people who made and used them for specific tasks, making them symbols of Irish heritage and craftsmanship. *Not to be confused with “fishing creels.”
Schedule - Please give yourself plenty of time to find the location on Wednesday and time to settle in…make a cup of something hot, etc. :)
Wednesday, Oct 29th - 9am to 5pm
Thursday, Oct 30th - 9am to 5pm
Lunch - A simple warm lunch with salad will be included each day and served in the warm farmhouse. You are welcome to bring personal snacks too.
Facilities - We will be working in an unheated covered barn - please dress accordingly. There will be access to an indoor bathroom and warm space to have lunch. Hot water will be available.
What to Bring: hand clippers, a knife and a bodkin. Sharpened hardwood bodkins will be provided if you don’t own a commercial bodkin. Work will be conducted on ground level so kneeling pads or soft material to cushion the knees and a favorite chair are highly recommended.
Accessibility note: the construction of this basket requires long days of kneeling, squatting, bending, and sitting on the ground. Some hand strength is also helpful to bend and work with the willow.
Age Requirement: this class is for adults 18+.
Maximum Class Size: 8 max
About Ben & Eli - Brothers Ben and Eli have been intrigued by basketry for the last seven years. They grow their own willow on a small farm in the Oregon Coast Range and enjoy sharing willow basketry with other craft enthusiasts.
Price includes 9.8% sales tax as required by WA State for teaching workshops starting Nov 1.