This is not to say that the hardwoods aren't used, but they're expensive and trickier to work with. They're harvested in various parts of Asia, then processed in factories into the different sizes of reed and cane. Reed is the inside of the vine, and cane is the outer bark. Cane is also the material used for woven chair seats. Round reed is measured in numbered sizes.
Smallest numbers measure the smallest diameter.
Basketry materials are too brittle to be woven in their dry state. Any simple structure will do. We recommend either a round, square or melon type basket made of flat materials. T The D handle anchors your base and gives you something to grab onto as you weave up the sides. If you can't attend classess, good patterns are the next best thing to being there, and learning to weave with a friend is a close second.