One of my other hobbies, especially during rainy and cold days, is pine needle basketry.... While it is a time consuming hobby - it takes many hours from gathering the needles to the final baskets - it is also a very relaxing and rewarding hobby.
I use pine needles from the Ponderosa Pines around my place. I gather them in Fall as the trees shed their needles (pine needles should not be harvested from a live branch). The needles are first washed and soaked in water, decapped, then weaved together into a coil using synthetic raffia or sinew for binding. Different stitch patterns can be used and pine cones, beads, or other natural materials can be weaved within the coils. The combinations are endless and the imagination can run wild. I never really know how the final basket will look like when I start.
Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments!