A Sampling of Pine Needle Baskets

by Dona Aitken

These baskets are made of coiled bundles of locally shed ponderosa pine needles held together with raffia, generally in a single or double wheat stitch in either a spiraling or straight pattern. The needles are not as long as some other pine needles such as those from the southern longleaf pine, but what they lack in length they more than make up for in toughness and strength. The needle bundles are cinched very tight; as a consequence these baskets are very durable. While they are pretty hanging on the wall as decoration, like all of my work they are made to be used.