Happy Autumn from Woodspirit School!
Swedish Split Willow Picnic Basket with Jarrod Dahl October 24-25
We had a whirlwind month hosting basket makers Hege & Samson from Norway. Lots of willow was split and students made beautiful vedmeis.
Norwegian Vedmeis with Hege Aasdal and Samsøn Ovstebø
Hege gave a talk on Traditional Norwegian and Nordic Basketry at our Craft Night. You can watch her talk on YouTube here.
Jarrod also posted a video on Willow (& Maple) Splitting Techniques after being inspired by their visit. We hope you will enjoy these videos and get inspired to make splint baskets.
We have two classes remaining this year and registration is still open for them: the Swedish Split Willow Picnic Basket and Birch Bark & Wool Felt Ornaments.
Our last Craft Night this year features Jarrod Dahl talking about basketry and demonstrating splitting techniques, Thursday, October 23 at 6pm 1400 3rd St W, 2nd floor, Ashland, WI
We are working on the line up of classes for next year and hope to publish that mid-November.
Thanks as always for your continued interest and support of our school. If we miss you this year, we look forward to the next time we can learn and make together.
Best,
Jarrod & Jazmin, Woodspirit School
——June 4-7——Korgar: Scandinavian Split Willow Baskets with Jarrod Dahl
$375.00
Related Courses: Basketry Courses
Dates: Thursday to Sunday, June 4-7, 2026 9am-5pm
Optional: Wednesday, June 3 Korgar: So Many Scandinavian Baskets! Craft Night Series slideshow & basket collection exhibition plus splint making demonstration with Jarrod Dahl.
Description: Inspired by Scandinavia’s rich basketry traditions this 4-day class will explore a few of the many forms of split material baskets found in Sweden and Norway. In general, baskets styles from around the world are directly related to their intended use, but the availability of specific materials also has a big influence on the shapes and styles. In Scandinavia, thin flat “splints” were commonly used to make baskets for the activities and needs of rural farm life. These splints were hand split and shaved from larger shrubs like willow and hazel.
We will begin this workshop by learning about where to gather, harvest and process larger willow saplings into rough splints. We will spend a good portion of the time splitting and prepping willow for weavers. We will focus on two splitting methods—hand splitting and the use of a splitting brake—a simple jig used to help with leverage while splitting. We will then focus on shaving the rough splints into smooth weaving material for our baskets. After the weaving materials are made students can choose which basket to make from the available basket designs offered.
Here are a few examples:
a plank bottom handled Swedish picnic basket
a small plank bottom backpack with leather straps
a skruk ( a Swedish type of basket woven backwards from rim to base) or
a vedmeis, a Norwegian two handled utility basket
Some students may not be able to make all the split material needed for their project. Extra rough split material will be available for purchase by students as needed in addition to the basic material fee associated with the basket design you choose to make.
This class is for basket lovers, basket weavers and woodworkers alike.
Tools to Bring:
Pruning Shears (Okatsune recommended)
Optional: Craft knife (Morakniv 106 or 120 recommended)
Workshop fee: $375
Material fees:
Please note that material fees vary by project chosen, and can be paid in cash during class.
Plank bottom baskets without handle $25, with handle $50
Pre-bent and dried handles for vedmeis $25
Veg Tan leather straps for backpack $TBD
Extra splints ~$35-75 depending on quantity used
Jarrod Dahl received a grant in 2024 to study Scandinavian Basketry through the American Swedish Foundation.
JARROD DAHL is a full-time craftsperson, teacher, and writer. Jarrod has extensive knowledge of harvesting and processing natural materials, forging and using hand tools, and making a wide variety of craft from basketry to canoes. He began making black ash baskets in 1997 and has since made many kinds of baskets including birch bark, knutkorg, split willow, pine splint, and root. He studied with basket weavers Steen Madsen, Hege Aasdal, Bjorn Majors, Vladimir Yarish and Scogin Zimmerman-Mayo. He takes a philosophical, historical and pragmatic approach to making, teaching, and advocating for handcraft. Jarrod writes a blog on craft and runs Woodspirit Handcraft with his wife in Northern Wisconsin. www.woodspirithandcraft.com instagram: @jarrod__dahl @woodspirithandcraft
4 available
——December 5—— Birch Bark Star Ornament, morning or afternoon, with Jazmin Hicks-Dahl
$40.00
Related Courses: Basketry & Textile Courses
Date: Saturday, December 5, 2026 Choose: Morning: 10am-12:30pm or Afternoon: 1:30-3:30pm
Description: Jazmin will guide you through making her design of a woven birch bark star ornament with wool pompoms and tassels, just in time to dress your Christmas tree or winter window. All materials will be provided.
Bring:
Small pointed tip scissors
Needle nose pliers (optional)
Workshop Fee: $40 Choose Morning or Afternoon Session
JAZMIN HICKS-DAHL studied birch bark weaving with Jarrod Dahl and Vladimir Yarish. She designed this star ornament several years ago and is excited to share how to make them in this class. She makes indigo dyed textiles both stitched and handwoven for Woodspirit Handcraft, a traditional craft business she runs with her woodworker husband. She spent 8 yrs teaching children in the SF Bay Area where she grew up before moving to the Northern Lands. Her background includes art & design, a love of natural materials, fine threads, folk textiles, and an obsession with indigo since her teens.
9 available
8 available
