Last week I made a quick trip to visit mom and dad. While getting ready to leave I tossed my clothes into a tote basket, and out of curiosity I flipped it over to check the date... 2003. Mom wove it. Twenty three years later the handles are still tight, the reed hasn't splintered, and it's doing the job it was made for.
That basket is the reason I wanted to write this. People ask us all the time which tote they should get, and the honest answer is that it depends on what you're hauling. So here's the whole lineup, sizes and all.
One thing they share: every tote is woven on a filled base, so small things stay put instead of working their way out the bottom. And every one is signed and dated on the bottom by whoever wove it.
Quick look#
Tote | Top | Sides | Handles | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8" x 17" | 11" | Leather | $99 | Weekends and carry-on | |
17.5" x 7" oval | 9.5" | Leather | $84 | Carrying hands-free | |
7.5" x 15" oval | 8.5" | Leather | $84 | Riding to the market | |
15" oval | 8.5" | Wrapped reed | $79 | When you want it noticed | |
5.5" x 13" | 8.5" | Leather | $69 | Every day, instead of a purse | |
4" x 13" | 10" | Leather | $69 | Slim loads over the shoulder | |
6" x 11" | 8.5" | Leather | $69 | Small loads close to hand | |
8" x 17" | 9.5" | Cotton | $69 | The beach |
The big ones#
Leather Handled Tote Basket#
Leather Handled Tote is our most popular basket, and it's the one most people picture when they say "tote." Eleven inch sides and a 7" x 15" base mean it swallows a weekend's worth of things. Books to the library, clothes to the gym, a carry-on that nobody else on the plane has. $99.
Shoulder Leather Handled Tote Basket#
Shoulder Leather Handled Tote is the same idea with longer straps, so you can sling it over your shoulder and keep your hands free. Slightly shallower at 9.5" sides, and oval rather than rectangular. $84.
Summertime Tote Basket#
Summertime Tote is the beach one. Same 8" x 17" opening as the big leather tote, but with cotton handles and a brighter feel. Towels, sunscreen, a book you won't finish. $69.
Heritage Striped Tote Basket#
Heritage Striped Tote is the one people stop and look at. No leather here, the handles are wrapped reed, which gives it a different character than the rest of the line. 15" oval top, 8.5" sides. $79.
The smaller ones#
Little Leather Handled Tote Basket#
Little Leather Handled Tote is the big tote scaled down to 5.5" x 13". A lot of folks carry this one instead of a purse, and it's stronger than its size suggests because the handles run through the whole basket. $69.
Little Northwoods Tote Basket#
Little Northwoods Tote is slimmer still at 4" x 13", with taller 10" sides and a decorative woven pattern that rewards a close look. The straps are long enough to slip it over your shoulder and tuck it under your arm. $69.
Plaid Tote Basket#
Plaid Tote is the most compact of the three, 6" x 11" at the top, with a plaid weave worked right into the basket rather than added on. $69.
The one for your bike#
Bicycle Tote Basket#
Bicycle Tote is the Little Leather Handled Tote with straps that buckle to your handlebars. Ride to the market, unbuckle it, carry it in. Then buckle it back on with the groceries inside. $84.
When none of them fit#
Sometimes the right basket doesn't exist yet. A few years back I needed something to hold my spoon carving tools, and mom built me one. It wasn't designed for the catalog, it was designed for a pile of hook knives and a mallet that kept falling out of everything else.
That happens more than you'd expect around here. Somebody needs a basket for a specific job, we weave it, and sometimes it earns a place in the line. If you've got a job we haven't thought of yet, just ask.
Twenty three years from now#
Every basket leaves here signed and dated on the bottom. Someday somebody will flip yours over too, and the date will tell them how long it's been working.
