Candide Simard

I make baskets with pine needles. This kind of weaving is more often seen in North America, but I learned it while living in... Fiji! In the Pacific, weaving is a living art, people make beautiful mats, baskets and bags, usually using pandanus leaves (voivoi), and sometimes banana leaves. Once we visited a village where we were shown how to make a small bracelet. That was the beginning of my weaving journey! Pine needle weaving uses a very different technique: coiling and stitching. It all started when I collected the broken branch of a pine tree after a big cyclone and took it home, just because it smelled nice. It had really long needles. Thanks to Google and Youtube, I taught myself to weave baskets, with many trials… and many errors. It was the pandemic, life was strange, making baskets was such a great way to withstand the stress of it all. It is a lovely craft, all you need is a bit of thread, a sewing needle, and pine needles. The coiling gesture is meditative and calming, and you can soon be creative. It is very sustainable, and makes you pay attention to nature in a different way. Now back in the UK, I have found generous trees with long needles so I can continue making baskets. I am learning pottery and love experimenting with mixing pottery and weaving. I run workshops and can make a basket especially for you!