Friday, July 19, 2013

Gathering and Processing Bear Grass



The third week in June my husband and I took off on a week-long camping trip to look for and gather bear grass and black fern.  We had heard of an area of bear grass that had burned in a forest fire last year, so we decided to check it out.  Bear grass is best for weaving if it has burned the year prior, making the grass soft and pliable.  Only the center shoots are gathered.
 
This year since we were camping / traveling for a week, the bear grass laid on the dash of our truck to begin its initial drying.  Everyday, I would lay it out in the sun for an hour or two when we were in our camp site.  Once we got home I laid it out on a tarp for a few hours each day in the morning sun, before it got too hot. The goal is for the grass to turn from green to a nice creamy white.
 
Like some other weaving materials, once bear grass has dried, it can remain usable for some years.  Simply soak it well in water before using.
 
Next year we will be looking for another burned area.
 
 
 
This YouTube video takes 5 minutes.
 

 Thank you for visiting my blog.

4 comments:

  1. Hello, I enjoyed watching your videos on gathering beargrass and black fern. I am still a basic student of basket weaving. I have looked for information or videos on what I perceive as the next step in processing beargrass for weaving a Columbia River style basket hat. Sadly, I have not found very much information to further along what little I know. I was wondering if I could possible ask you for enlightenment on the next steps after drying, and preparing to weave? Joanne

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  2. Thank you. I weave cedar and always wanted to use bear grass. I was wondering how to split it before use. On some grass you can use your nail or a needle. I was wondering about this grass.

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  3. Thank you soo much for this blog. It has been very informative and helpful. I have always wanted to learn basket weaving, only recently I have began learning to harvest and prepare a very large number of materials and I have made a handful of baskets. It is my goal to make at least one of every type of basket and then settle on one or two that I enjoy the most. Working with cedar bark and grasses has been my favorite so far. Your blog has been the most concise and helpful resource i have found and I am grateful to you for teaching freely.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you soo much for this blog. It has been very informative and helpful. I have always wanted to learn basket weaving, only recently I have began learning to harvest and prepare a very large number of materials and I have made a handful of baskets. It is my goal to make at least one of every type of basket and then settle on one or two that I enjoy the most. Working with cedar bark and grasses has been my favorite so far. Your blog has been the most concise and helpful resource i have found and I am grateful to you for teaching freely.

    ReplyDelete