Water hyacinth is a thick, ropey fiber, and stained dark brown it gives this bin a heavier look than pale seagrass of the same size. The body is square, 13 by 13 inches with 11 inch walls, and handles are integrated into the weave for lifting a loaded bin.
An iron frame sits under the hyacinth, which is a heavier skeleton than the wire used in lighter baskets and holds a square corner square. Thick fiber is wound over it, so the walls feel solid under a hand rather than springy. The stain soaks into natural material unevenly, and the variation in tone across one bin is part of how a handwoven piece looks.
A square plan uses shelf and cubby space that a round basket wastes at the corners, and at 13 by 13 inches this one fills a cubby instead of leaving four crescents of dead space. Walls of 11 inches keep folded blankets below the rim instead of mounded above it. Two bins set side by side line up flat, with no gap between curved sides.
The handles are worked into the weave rather than hung from it, so there is no hardware to work loose when the bin comes off a shelf full of toys. Grabbing a 13 inch square from both sides keeps the load level, which matters more here than on a basket you can hook one finger into. Dark brown fiber hides the handling marks that pale weave shows.
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.
