——June 4-7——Korgar: Scandinavian Split Willow Baskets with Jarrod Dahl

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 & 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 made available and can be purchased 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: $450

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