Cattail and gray paper rope alternate through the weave, so the basket reads as two colors without any dye on the cattail itself. The footprint is 15 inches wide by 12 deep and the walls climb to 18 inches, which is tall enough for folded sweaters to stand rather than lie flat.
Two fibers with different behavior share the same basket: cattail is a reed that dries stiff and pale, paper rope is twisted and takes the gray evenly. The contrast lands in horizontal bands as the weave rises, and because the cattail is a natural material, tone shifts slightly from one basket to the next within the same natural and gray finish.
Height is what separates this one from a low decorative bowl. At 18 inches the walls hold a stack of folded textiles upright, and magazines stand on their spines instead of curling. The 15 by 12 inch base is rectangular rather than round, which lets the basket sit flush in a corner or tight against a dresser side.
The cattail and rope are wrapped around a sturdy metal frame, so an 18 inch wall does not bow outward once the basket fills up. That skeleton also keeps the mouth open and square, which is the difference between reaching in and wrestling with a collapsed rim. The frame carries the load so the fiber only has to hold its pattern.
Handwoven water hyacinth basket standing 17 inches tall, open at the top for blankets beside a sofa.
Seagrass stair basket shaped to sit across two steps, 16 inches deep, with two carrying handles.
