Of potential and baskets

[Toddy]

Espadrilles are common in place like the seaside in Spain, and in dry mountainous areas of China, I'm told but the rope soles were considered to be safer than wet leather on board wooden ships.

It's the same thing really, just coiled roped stitched together to make a sound footing.

cheers,
Mary

 

[bilmo-p5]

A flat 3-strand plait (sennit) made with groups of yarns works better than a twisted (laid-up) rope for espadrille soles. Takes longer and is harder to sew together but yields a superior product

 

[Toddy]

It certainly gives a very flat profile to be sewn together, and since the wear would be one on three rather than one on two, I could see it lasting well too.

Like basketry, I think that when necessity strikes, folks just use what they have to hand tbh, and adapt/improvise as it occurs to them

atb,
M

 

[bilmo-p5]

It certainly gives a very flat profile to be sewn together, and since the wear would be one on three rather than one on two,

Noooooooooo. I didn't put it very well; the flat sennit is rolled up like a ribbon and its edge is the wearing surface.

 

[Toddy]

Uhuh that way only one of the bights in each of the plies is on the ground being worn but the rest is buried in the ply or forming the inner edge. It's very hard wearing.
Sewing it's pretty straightforward since the flat plane is coiled next to flat plane, unlike the basket where it's curved rope agin curved rope.

cheers,
Mary

 

[crosslandkelly]

Beautiful work Mary, The thing that I appreciate is the patience required. Not sure I have it, Even this computator tries it.
Colin.

 

[Toddy]

To round this off, this is the plant that I pulled the dead leaves from and that I used to make the rope and the basket.

Pretty and I reckon I used about a third of the leaves for the basket. The Iris dies right back in Winter so taking the leaves didn't do any harm.

cheers,
M

 

[Rabbit leg]

I think this is the thumbs up sign. There is a similar middle finger one. It's not meant to be that one. On my phone they are too small to differentiate.

 

[Toddy]

I can't get the smilies to work here at all. I'm typing the codes by hand, and I can only mind so many of them.

Cheers, @Rabbit leg

M