Hazel Spelks

Hazel baskets are having a resurgence in the UK and it is no surprise, they are incredible and I love them! They are found all over Europe in different styles and hazel grows prolifically in most places. With some knife skills (and sturdy knees) anyone can have a go.

My apprenticeship was mostly spent restoring hazel coppice and I spent a bit of time weaving hazel hurdles. Hazel coppice is a delight to work in so when I first learnt to make these baskets it was a revelation! You can sit by the hedge or woodland and make them with just a pocket knife. After the chainsaw, boiler, fire, soaking etc and long process and rigid pattern of oak basketry, to sit and make a hazel basket with very little preparation is a beautiful thing indeed.

I was taught by Ruth Pybus who also learnt to make swills from Owen. When she took the craft home to North Wales she discovered there was a tradition of split wood basketry, and with no oak to be seen she realised it was hazel. Ruth and David worked out how to make the splints and researched local basketry patterns, you can read more about it here.

The two are excellent tutors and attending a course with them has opened up a whole new world of hazel basketry styles and research for me. I now have a habit of seeking out basketmakers on holiday and coming home with new styles to test out, you can see some of these in my shop and courses.