THE CRAFTS 
WOOD CARVING AND PYROGRAPHY. LEATHER AND METAL. BASKETRY, ETC. 
Under the management of Miss Emily Peacock, summer address, 4477 Western Ave., Westmount, Montreal, Can. All inquiries 
in regard to the various Crafts are to be sent to the above address, but will be answered in the magazine under this head. 
Having made the iDottom the size desired, form the side, by 
gradually carrying the roll upward until it lies over the previous 
roll. To end the basket after reaching the desired size, remove 
the filling by cutting out two or three strands, at a time, com- 
mencing directly over the point where the side was started. 
To maintain the size of the roll, as the strands run out, lay 
in new ones but do not tie them. When the weaver is nearly 
used up lay the end in with the filling and thread a new one, 
placing the end into the filling as before. By using weavers of 
different colors and working in a design, a more effective 
basket can be made. 
A C-i-roup of Baskets. 
SOME WORK IN RAFFIA 
Madge E. Weinland 
RAFFIA is a grass-like fibre imported from Madagascar 
where it is obtaitied from the leaves of the raffia palm. 
These leaves grow to an enormous length and are stripped of 
their outer skin, which is dried and twisted into hanks. It can 
be obtained at seed stores in the natural color or dyed in various 
colors and shades. Before using, the undyed material should 
be washed in hot water until thoroughly saturated and then 
hung up to dry. This treatment softens the strands, making 
them more pliable and easilj^ worked. 
To make a raffia basket, first thread a single strand of 
raffia at the larger end into a No. 2 darning needle. Choose 
several strands of raffia (say twelve) and double them. This 
is to form the roll or filling and will make one of large size, 1nit 
a smaller one can be made of from one to three double strands. 
Commencing at the folded ends of the strands that have 
been doubled, hold the smaller end of the weaver, or threaded 
strand, in with the filling and wind the weaver toward you nine 
times around, not overlapping (Fig. i). Bend the roll in such 
A Raffia Basket— First Steps. Fig. I. 
a way as to bring the two ends together and pass the needle 
through the first end or starting place (Fig. 1). Wind three 
more times around the filling and insert the needle through the 
hole in the center of the coil. Wind three times again and pass 
the needle througli the same point. Repeat this tmtil you have 
worked once around the coil. Now insert the needle through 
the roll instead of through the hole in the center of the coil as 
heretofore. Wind three times around and again insert the 
needle through the roll. Continue this stitch until the basket 
is finished. 
A Knotted Bag for Twine.— Fig 2. 
KNOTTED BAG (fIG. 2) 
Select 17 strands of raffia of uniform size and of the de- 
sired color. Loop them at their middle point around a stick 
18 inches long and knot each one, placing them half an inch 
apart. The loops must be of uniform size so that the knots 
will be in a straight line. About half an inch below these, 
knot one strand of each pair with a strand of the next pair, 
leaving an unknotted strand at each end. This forms the 
second row of knots. Continue this, dropping off a strand at 
each end of the row, until you have completed a V shape mesh. 
Remove the stick, bring the two edges of the mesh together 
and join them by knotting, thus forming a bag. If this work 
is carefully done, the joining will not be noticealile. Tie the 
