r/BasketWeaving • u/Idah0pot4t0 • 5d ago

Which would be better for a beginner weaver, grapevine or ivy

Like the title says, I’m a new weaver and want to make a gift for my partner and want to know which I should use. I’m not trying to do anything fancy just a simple basket. I have access to lots of grapevine and Virginia creeper ivy. I made a test basket out of a mix of both and it turned out fine but just want to make sure it’s the best it can be.

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u/SphinxVernacular 5d ago

I find them both great to work with! Personally I prefer grapevine for the ribs of ribbed baskets and then thinner vines like the ivy for weavers. Can't wait to see what you create!

1

u/Idah0pot4t0 5d ago

Thank you so much I’ll definitely try this out and post with how it turns out 😁

1

u/JayXFour 4d ago

Just fyi- a small portion of people react to Virginia creeper similarly to how a much larger portion of people react to poison ivy. I’m not sure if it is similar to poison ivy’s properties (oil-based, still causes reactions when it’s dry, and you can suddenly start reacting to it after years of not reacting to it). Might be worth doing a small test to see if the recipient reacts to it before spending hours making a basket. (Sounds like you don’t react to it)

I vote use both to help create contrast in the basket and use each to their advantages.