where to buy sweet grass baskets off the beaten path.?

Traveling to Charleston area , first time, collect hand woven baskets from different parts of the world. Willing to travel outside Charleston or outside town to purchase/ souvenir basket directly from weaver

if possible. Are there any road side stands, small craft shops etc either in Charleston, Mt Pleasaant Area, St Johns/or Kiawah Island area where you can recommend such a purchase. I want to

purchase but at a fair and resonable price for this craft. Hope

to avoid the usual Souvenir traps. Please advise. Thanks

where to buy sweet grass baskets off the beaten path.?

The weavers sell them at The Market, at Four Corners (Broad at Meeting Streets and at roadside stands along Hwy. 17 in Mt. Pleasant.

They are expensive and are handmade so do not expect a bargain on any of them. They are beautiful and are art form that is being lost. It is interesting to talk to the ladies about the baskets.

where to buy sweet grass baskets off the beaten path.?

Bought a sweetgrass basket this spring from a stand on highway 17 .. It was quite interesting to talk to the young lady selling them . Baskets made by novices are less tight and thus not as expensive . Prize winning weavers have mastered the craft and so the prices are up there. Also she came down a little from the posted price

Thanks for the advice.

I was in IOP last week of May and was dying for a sweetgrass basket. Bought one from a very sweet older lady on Hwy 17 just north of the IOPconnector. It%26#39;s on the smaller side, but only cost me $40. Although the baskets in Chas. at the market are lovely, the costs were extreme.

I will be in Charleston in December and would love to purchase a few sweetbaskets for Christmas gifts. Where is Boone Hall on Highway 17 and is Miss Annie the name of the store? Who is the older woman off 17 near IOP? ( what is that?) Thanks for any help.

IOP is the Isle of Palms, and the IOP Connector is a major intersection in Mt. Pleasant on Hwy 17. Hwy 17 is ';Sweetgrass Basketmakers Highway'; and is dotted up and down on both sides of the highway with the occasional, often makeshift wooden frame ';hut'; where the basketmakers sit out of the sun%26#39;s rays and make baskets.

All of the basketweavers are pleasant and they each have their own ';favorites'; that they make. One could drive north and stop at each one, finding the design you like. At Mt. Pleasant Towne Center, a large (very nice) outdoor shopping center that is on Hwy 17 b/w I526 and the IOP Connector, there is a ';pavillion'; where several basket makers display their work. That might be a good place to stop for a first look. PS - since you%26#39;re coming before the holidays, you might get lucky and be there when they have their free carriage rides through the shopping center, which is I believe on weekends after Thanksgiving.

The price of the baskets reflect the amount of work required to complete the basket - you probably could not find even the smallest basket for less than $30. Wreaths make great gifts too and are easy to travel with! You will always get a better deal when you buy 2 or more - make a reasonable offer.

Enjoy your shopping and welcome to Charleston!

I bought two lovely baskets in April 2008

made from the three grasses, bullrush, palm,

and sweet grass. (They have three different

colors to them because of the three different

grasses, tend to be a little more expensive

than those made from one type of grass.) Plan

to spend between $75.00--$100 each depending on

the intricacy of the pattern and size. Also

take cash, I don%26#39;t think any take credit cards

or checks. Also if you buy them from the same

stand you can negotiate on the price and get

a little discount. Stay away from the Market

in downtown Charleston, unless you don%26#39;t have

a car. Take the scenic ride over the bridge

to Route 17, where there were many stands along

the way, Go up and down both sides to see

what you like. There are several books you

can also pick up in Charleston which will

tell you about the history and the art of the

baskets. I love my baskets!!

Try heading out to Angel Oak on John%26#39;s Island for a visit, there is usually a lady there making baskets (I took a class on how to make the baskets there years ago).

Her prices are about as ';reasonable'; as you will find. I have bought from her in the past and if I%26#39;m correct, I think she did take a charge card (but it%26#39;s not the norm, as mentioned above).