Eric’s getting ready for the Georgia Basketry Convention. So that means it’s time for my pro bono work: helping Eric cut uprights (that’s the only job I think I’m qualified for in the basketry field).
You would think all it takes to do this job is to line up the long strands of wood (that’s what I call them and Eric rolls his eyes whenever I say that) and “snip.” Nope. You have to cut it at a precise angle/position with the scissors or you split the wood. A couple years ago, I thought I came up with a brilliant idea of cutting two strands at once, thereby saving time. That’s when I learned about the whole “splitting wood” thing. Eric is a perfectionist with all his materials so most of my new cut pieces became excellent campfire kindling.
Recently, I created a “repurposed invention” of sorts— I added to my “assembly line process” a vintage wooden holder, previously used for small weights. I found it at a thrift shop in Florida for only 99 cents! It’s now my new Upright Holder and it works perfectly.
Why do I need such a contraption, now dubbed the Upright Holder? Glad you asked. In earlier times, I would count out the specific number of uprights for each package and arrange them in small piles on my flat surface. I cannot tell you how many times I would swipe something and mix the piles up or Chance would come over and hit his tail and neat piles were no more. I would have to recount them all. I don’t like the counting part.
Now, I sit them in this nifty holder and they stay grouped together in the correct quantity! (I get so giddy at the little things such as this…)
I think I’m becoming an expert upright cutter. Suhweet! Maybe I could ask Eric to actually get paid for my work?
