The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Womble on September 24, 2017, 09:24:40 am
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"So what have we got on this week?" asked Mrs Womble.
"Oh, just the usual juggling three jobs and a smallholding" I replied. "Oh, and I'm going to a basket weaving class on Saturday".
"YOU'RE WHAT???" replied Mrs Womble incredulously, in the tone of voice she usually saves for my most incompetent actions. "You're seriously doing basket weaving? Basket casing more like!".
Some deeper probing revealed that it wasn't just that she feared I would be awful at it (of course I will - that's half the fun! ;D ). It was more that in her eyes, signing up for a basket weaving class requiring surrendering all of my remaining Man Points at the door (I think I lost most of them when I learned to spin). I might as well have asked her to slap me on the bottom and call me Shirley.
So, Mrs Womble was distinctly unimpressed, and I was mightily surprised at her attitude.
Are you?
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The most successful swill maker I know, who makes a full time living at it is a man! You go for it! :thumbsup:
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There was a bloke at a basket weaving course I went on - he did ok. You need strong thumbs. I think the women were more creative, the man was more technical. I was just glad it was over - I have the attention span of a gnat.....
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I taught myself to knit last winter... :knit:
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Should have went to the festival as one of the instructors is a man.
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I think there are more male basket weavers than female. At the smallholders show yesterday, the main man is...well...a man, and he weaves beautiful baskets. Down at Woolfest, last time I was there, there were two basket stalls, both men who did the weaving. Same at the Royal Highland. On the other hand, the course I went on was given by a woman. It's a lot to do with strength, not just of the hands, but the whole body when you're wrestling with those withies, but men tend to be even stronger than some women (and the other way round of course).
As for spinning, the person who taught me to use a spindle is a man, a brilliant spinner and spindler, and before you ask, he's married.
Knitting? My brother taught me to knit when we were kids, although he doesn't now like his own children to know that ::) But Kaffe Fasset is one of the all time most prominent knitters.
On the other hand, I spin, spindle, knit and sew, and I also ride a whopping big motorbike, I'm married and I have children and grandchildren.
I hate to say it Womble but I think Mrs Womble is suffering from some prejudices :coat: . You'll just have to prove her wrong, when you come home with your first basket :thumbsup:
For the vote - I can't do it, because my preferred answer isn't there....basket making has nothing to do with sex, silly.
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I taught myself to knit last winter... :knit:
About time too Dan :eyelashes:
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There's your challenge Womble, prove her wrong.
Then get growing your willow, get the weaving right and and income beyond retirement :thumbsup:
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..and you never know... you might meet a nice young man in the classes... :roflanim:
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I'm genuinely surprised at Mrs womble.
Oh to have the time to learn such things...
On second thoughts is she just trying to protect herself from learning manly tasks?
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My only response is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzHtm1jhL4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzHtm1jhL4)
"with basket weavers who sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs and toes..."
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I recently went to a funeral and as they carried him out......up came this song :roflanim:
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Neighbour of mine has a very successful 'natural burials' business using, you've guessed it, wicker work caskets he makes himself.
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Do it!
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My only response is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzHtm1jhL4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzHtm1jhL4)
"with basket weavers who sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs and toes..."
[/quote
I recently went to a funeral and as they carried him out......up came this song :roflanim:
I must get that added when I update my will... my lawyer already says there's no chance of them carrying out my wishes when it comes to recycling so I guess I should go the whole hog (oh, except that's a pun I didn't intend because those were my wishes...)
I have heard of people who left their bodies to hounds getting cremated and the ashes sprinkled on their food. Where there is a will there is a way, you may get fed to the pigs yet.
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It would genuinely never have occurred to me that weaving baskets is in any way either a man's thing or a woman's thing. As Juliet says, the two basketweavers at Woolfest are men. I also have female friends who are learning.
Spinning does tend to be predominantly female, as do knitting and crochet, but I know a few men who spin and knit. (Glad to add you to the ranks of the latter, [member=1]Dan[/member] :)). One of the UK's experts on spinning longdraw is a man - and a young man, at that. I've a friend works on the railways, has a lot body art and piercings, a strapping great fella, and knits beautifully :).
We find more men when it comes to weaving generally. Most Guilds have a few male Weavers.
As to voting - same as Juliet :)
For the vote - I can't do it, because my preferred answer isn't there....basket making has nothing to do with sex, silly.
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My only response is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzHtm1jhL4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzHtm1jhL4)
"with basket weavers who sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs and toes..."
I love that song - used to have the single but lend a pile of records to a friend and that one never came home. >:(
On the subject of basket weaving, if you want to do it, why not?
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Well precisely! I didn't get where I am today by following fashion trends or worrying what other people think of me. Come to think of it, maybe that's as much curse as blessing.
Anyway, I'm going to give it a go and enjoy it. I'll post a photo of the results, which should give you all a laugh at least! ;D
Oh, and I HATE that song! It absolutely freaks me out, and I'm not even kidding!
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Well you're not going to be the only man there! It's a man who'se teaching us for a start, and Marcus (Tradenots) is also coming, so perhaps Mrs W is rather old fashioned :innocent:
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So who voted Mrs Womble was right? Mrs Womble? :innocent:
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No, it was me. It's just more than my life's worth to disagree sometimes! :roflanim:
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Rubbish, I know Mrs W and she wouldn't deprive you of a learning opportunity :roflanim:
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I dont really want to get into the basket weaving- but its seems its perfectly acceptable for a lady to say 'thats a mans job, so you do it'
but never acceptable the other way.
which is kinda good but it means half the boys jobs get done and none of the lady jobs. ;)
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In our house cleaning the cludgie is most definitely a man's job :poo: :eyelashes:
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Rubbish, I know Mrs W and she wouldn't deprive you of a learning opportunity :roflanim:
Precisely! Which is why after fifteen years of marriage I'm still in the process of 'learning' to clean the toilet.
OK, I'll be honest then - I haven't voted at all, so the question is, who did? :)
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Well, that was a whole heap of fun! ;D
And doesn't this look like a masculine kind of basket? A strong, practical and dependable receptacle, ideal for holding manly things like springs, fishing weights or mustache oil perhaps? :roflanim:
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"So what have we got on this week?" asked Mrs Womble.
"Oh, just the usual juggling three jobs and a smallholding" I replied. "Oh, and I'm going to a basket weaving class on Saturday".
"YOU'RE WHAT???" replied Mrs Womble incredulously, in the tone of voice she usually saves for my most incompetent actions. "You're seriously doing basket weaving? Basket casing more like!".
Some deeper probing revealed that it wasn't just that she feared I would be awful at it (of course I will - that's half the fun! ;D ). It was more that in her eyes, signing up for a basket weaving class requiring surrendering all of my remaining Man Points at the door (I think I lost most of them when I learned to spin). I might as well have asked her to slap me on the bottom and call me Shirley.
So, Mrs Womble was distinctly unimpressed, and I was mightily surprised at her attitude.
Are you?
Hmmm tough choice to vote. If my hubby wanted to basket weave or do somit creative who would I be to stand in his way? I would expect the same encouragement and support from him too tho. I wonder what her reaction would have been if you had said pole dancing... :innocent: :roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim:
Love the results tho, those baskets are beautiful, well done!!! :trophy:
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Is that your work then Womble? in one afternoon?
I'm very impressed !
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That's a fabulous first basket, Womble! And very manly, if I may say so :eyelashes:
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Very impressed, Womble and I do hope Mrs Womble is too.
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Very nice basket Womble. I made something similar and keep fruit in it. I would love to have another go
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We had 11 there, I was an observer as my wrist is still lacking in strength, and Carol's son came along to watch. So 9 members took home baskets of a good standard. I took photos with my cousin's phone so when she has emailed them to me I'll post them. It was a great day, Cheryl did us a lovely spread at lunchtime too
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Was it at Cheryl's? I wish I'd known about it as I would have loved to be there too. I made one hedgerow basket a few years back, but I need a kickstart to get me going again. I have some lovely willow of various colours.
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No it was at th Mayfield centre and we had alimit of 8 - the 9th one was allowed to do a basket but without his help so the rest of us did that. I have email addresses for members of the old Forth Valley smallholders which was changed to Central Scotland smallholders some time ago.
If anyone is interested, we are at the point of needing committee members or closing down. I can't carry the whole thing on my shoulders alone any more.