A Handle for the Straw Basket

I retrieved the woven straw basket from beside the porch post, setting it between my boots. Its hollow rim had no grip, making it awkward to lift. In the kindling box by the door, I found an unused strip of stiff hemp webbing left from summer baling. I measured two forearm lengths against the basket’s curve, then threaded the coarse strap under the thickest coil of the weave. Kneeling down, I braced one side with my knee and pulled the loose ends into a double hitch knot until the fiber bit firm into the straw. Testing the loop with an upward pull, it held solid.