Underwater Weaving Studio

"I chose the name because of its irony. How awful to live in a world with no arts and crafts!" - Erin Pollard

What do you collect?

Shells, sticks, rocks, vintage baskets, magazines, and ribbons. Recycled kraft things- notebooks, note cards, paper bags. Red lipstick

Your brand is called Underwater Weaving Studio, referencing seemingly useless university courses. How do you view the importance of craft?

The name has a few layers. “Underwater Basket Weaving” became an idiom in the 50’s when vocational studies were introduced into the education system. It’s a reference used to describe useless or supposedly absurd skills and the “decline” of our educational system. I chose the name because of its irony. How awful to live in a world with no arts and crafts! But, I did initially lean into the joke. Baskets felt almost culturally absent just two years ago. I imagined people laughing at me and wanted to be in on the joke. A fashion publishing executive suddenly teaching basket weaving and selling woven containers? It felt like a big leap. But for me, I finally felt like myself. Nonetheless, having a sense of humor helped. 

I think it’s possible the “transition” I experienced is indicative  of what’s happening within our culture. I think about the Industrial Revolution all the time. The American Arts and Crafts Movement emphasized handcrafted goods, simplicity, and a connection to nature. The movement sought to counter mass production by promoting traditional craftsmanship and using natural materials, reflecting a belief in the superiority of handmade objects. I feel strongly that we’re experiencing the same with technology. I don’t know anyone who isn’t exhausted by it. We crave analog living, making things. It’s human.

Basketry is one of the oldest North American crafts, with skills and knowledge passed down from generation to generation.  What does that tradition look like in your family?

Craft, in general, was a much more significant part of the culture before the mid-90s, and indeed, in my life growing up in Maine, my mother did them all. My uncle is a woodworker, my grandparents were gardeners, and my great-grandmothers made quilts. If you think about it, it wasn’t that long ago that we all made our own clothes.  While its effect was not apparent to me during my upbringing, we lived 10 minutes away from the last operating Shaker Village (the last two practicing Shakers live at Sabbath Day Lake Village- you must visit). The Shakers learned basketry from the Native Americans, and in our area in the Northeast, the Wabanaki should be celebrated for passing down their techniques. 

In our home, baskets eventually took over as the leading craft. Mom taught classes, opened a gift store, and produced a tote for LL Bean. But I made a total of one basket as a kid. As society “advanced,” baskets fell out of fashion. They went away in our home and, in many ways, never made it to the internet!

During the pandemic, I started weaving. First, little tapestries, then baskets. It was a very personal discovery at first. It wasn’t until about a year after I began hosting workshops and beginner basket weaving circles that Mom started weaving again. And she has passed down so much knowledge that I could never have learned from books. It’s exciting for me to share something with her. It’s brought us together, and I feel the studio has brought her a sense of hope and purpose, just as it has me.

We’ll see what the future brings, but I know our kids absorb the making that happens in our home. My son inspires me with new ideas all the time.

Where in the world excites you most?

This will sound strange, but I live happily in the clouds. Daydreaming anywhere in nature is where I want to be. 

How does nature inspire you?

I want it all around me. in the spring and summer, you’ll find me foraging– it’s probably illegal, but I’ll sneak a branch from the CVS parking lot if it calls to me.  I want every possible surface to be growing wild in our home!  Baskets are always made with nature in mind. Many are designed to be the perfect vessel for harvesting or holding a specific flower, herb, or vegetable type. There is so much beauty at our fingertips. In the dead of winter, when it’s not, I’ll still seek out life. My husband groans when I go to the grocery store because I often forget… the groceries; I will, however, tote home beautiful purple cabbage for the mantle, beech mushrooms for a wooden bowl on the credenza, and eloquently shaped onions for a basket.

We just wrote, designed, and published our first UNDERWATER MAGAZINE, all about the good ol ordinary onion! In some ways, the onion is a metaphor (you don’t have to like them to read the mag!) —the promise of roots pushing up through the ground again. But it’s written in a way that I hope inspires tactile action with projects and prompts. Perhaps readers use it as a tool to tap into the creative forces of discovering nature in their way. Nature is medicine, not only for the body but the mind.

UNDERWATER MAGAZINE Hello Onion: A Basket for Root Vegetables and Other Inspirations Is a limited edition magazine. It comes with the materials to make a miniature pearl onion basket.

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