First of all - FORGET WEAVING THE SIX STAGES IN TURN!! Using a steamer is a different technique altogether.

The steamer will work equally well on any hole to hole cane work, but this bow topped footstool is a perfect candidate to demonstrate where it excels and how much easier it can make otherwise difficult work.

Firstly lay in pairs of "warp" canes (stages 1 & 3) to follow the curve of the seat.

Weave the steamer over and under each "warp" cane strand in turn. Thread the end of a really long length of working cane through the hole in the steamer, fold the end over, tilt the steamer and pull it through the weave with the cane attached. Thread the remainder of the cane through the first hole

Take a second long length of cane and starting from the opposite side first hole, use the steamer to pull it through the warps in the opposite weave, ie over where you previously went under. You should end up with a long length of cane ready to "stitch" up through the next hole on each side rail. This will create a grid or chequerboard of four settings. Work each pair of "weft" canes in turn across the seat but don't pull them too tight.

The grid completed ready for hand woven diagonals. As two lengths of long cane were used going in opposite directions, the loops underneath are evenly spaced and there is not much joining in of new cane. An added bonus is that spacing the grid is not a problem, you adjust as you go along.

Occasionally you may not have enough room to use the steamer for the final pair of weft canes. In instances where this is likely to happen, weave half way across the panel and then start the weaving again from the other side with two new lengths of cane. This way you will end up in the centre of the seat where it will be easier to weave in the final pair of weft canes by hand.

Because the curve was created first by the "warp" canes, as long as the "weft" canes are not pulled too tightly, the shape of the seat bow is followed perfectly. This whole process took 1 hour 20 minutes - and that included breaks for tea and photography!!

Firstly lay in the side to side or "warp" canes. On this seat the strands are separated by a single wrap around the rail, which passes around an inner liner then back around to the top of the seat ready for the next pass.

Thread the steamer through the weave in your chosen pattern.

Put the end of a long length of cane through the hole in the steamer and fold it over. The cane used here is 2.4mm.

 Tilt the steamer to slightly open up the weave Then pull the cane through.

A finished seat in half the time with less chance of making mistakes.