Back to the craft of basket making
Hard to believe but so true. 13 years ago, at the beginning of February 2011, Katja decided to return to her original profession as a basket maker. Yes, that’s right, basket maker and not basket maker. That’s what it says on her trade licence from 1983, when luckily there was still a gender craze.
On the one hand, it’s a long time. On the other hand, it’s hard to believe how quickly time flies. The pictures from the very beginning, starting with setting up the workshop (when it was still clearly laid out), to the present day tell a story that I have been able to accompany all these years.
Together we have tried out and learnt a lot. Initially working alone in the workshop, the question arose as to how the baskets should be delivered to the customers. Katja was not at all happy about the decision to present herself to the public as a basket maker in order to draw attention to herself and her basketry.
Just 6 months later, in August 2011, she had the opportunity to do so at the Ranstädter Tag. When I think back, she was more than excited and her pulse was probably quite high. But over the years, she has become a market professional.
Apropos market. In the beginning, we were represented at many markets and only over time did we learn not to have to dance at every wedding. And I’ve accompanied my wife since the beginning, with one or two exceptions where I couldn’t be there for health reasons. I still enjoy accompanying Katja to the markets and continue to support her to the best of my ability. So while she sits in the workshop and weaves, I take care of what I can do; the online presence. It’s a division of labour between us that has solidified over the last 13 years.
Over the years, we have almost always decided together which path to take, have set the direction and have now reached our standard when it comes to markets and everything that goes with them. And yet new things are sometimes tried out, discarded or adopted.
So we are intertwined, just like the wickerwork that Katja diligently makes.
I look forward to hopefully many more years together as a team for the basketry, but also as a couple.
Congratulations to Korbmacherei Kreative Finger and therefore to Katja on her 13th anniversary.
Dein MOGUHL (Manager Ohne Gehalt und HandLanger) Ralf