The Rhythm of Coiling: A Meditative Craft

There’s a hush that falls when I sit down with a bundle of pine needles. Not the silence of absence, but a soft and sacred stillness of the kind that speaks.

Coiling is slow work. Intentional work. In a world that’s always rushing, pine needle basketry feels like rebellion, like reclaiming something ancient and wise.

The rhythm begins gently. Needle through thread, wrap around, pull snug. Again. Again. The scent of sun-cured pine rises with every coil. My hands know what to do long before my thoughts catch up. It becomes a dance. Simple, grounding, beautiful.

This isn’t just craft. It’s meditation stitched into matter.

When I coil, I listen to the soft crunch of needles, to my breathing, to the quiet hum of being alive. Sometimes I think of the women before me who sat just like this, making baskets not just to carry things, but to carry time, memory, and meaning.

Some days my stitches are even. Other days they wander like creek water. That’s fine. The beauty of basketry isn’t in perfection, it’s in presence. Every coil is a conversation between hand and heart.

If you’re feeling scattered or tired or pulled too thin, I invite you to sit with the pine. Let the rhythm hold you. Let the wildness remind you that patience isn’t passive, it’s powerful.

You don’t need experience. Just pining hands and an open spirit. The rest, like the basket, will take shape over time.

Coil slow. Breathe deep. Stay wild.

-Lauren | Pine Wild and Free