14/04/2026
When you spot one of our Hadithi baskets, it is easy to forget how many careful steps sit behind each piece. Here is the journey of a sisal basket, from plant to piece you can cherish.
Sisal Harvesting 🌾
In Kenya’s Kasigau region, weavers either grow sisal plants on their farms or buy fibres from nearby estates. Sisal is exceptionally strong and grows well in dry climates, without the need for pesticides or chemical fertilisers.
From Leaf to Fibre 🌿
Once the leaves are harvested, they are decorticated so only the white fibres remain, often 0.5 to 1 metre long. These fibres will later be transformed into twine, rope and, of course, baskets.
Dyeing and Drying 🎨
The fibres are coloured by boiling them in dye and then leaving them to dry in the shade. At Hadithi, artisans use natural dyes or AZO‑free dyes, drawing on traditional techniques to create both earthy tones and bright colours.
Rolling the Twine 🧵
With dry fibres ready, weavers roll them on their bare legs to create even twine, a step that demands skill and is often the most time‑consuming part of the process.
Ready, Steady, Weave! 🧺
Only when enough twine is prepared can the basket itself begin, starting at the centre of the base and slowly growing upwards, coil by coil.
Each Hadithi basket carries the touch of many patient steps and the story of the woman who wove it.
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