HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SKEP
1. Collecting your materials
If you have a local thatcher (look in yellow pages) he may be willing to sell you some suitable long straw, especially if you offer a price above the usual price he pays. One sheaf will probably be more than enough for two skeps. It is best, though time consuming, to go through the straw removing all the seed heads and taking off as many of the thin leaves as you can, so that you are left with clean straight straw all lined up neatly. Don't bother with the short and crushed bits (and don't try to use straw that has been through a combine harvester or made into a bale).
Straw supplied for making corn dollies is likely to be far too expensive although it is beautifully long and straight.
Avoid Norfolk Reed (Phalaris arundinacea) used in thatching as it is far too stiff to be worked easily.
However, other materials can be used, even long grass stems from the roadside if it is fully grown and "strawy", but don't wait until it has dropped its seed as a great deal of the strength will have gone. Thatching straw is generally harvested a week or more before the grain harvest whilst it is still a little green.
Alston's book on skep making recommends Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea) for skeps, but it's a rare plant where I live. It grows in peaty soil, very acid. We found some in Scotland and I have made two very nice skeps with it despite collecting dead stems in winter. Collected at a better time of year, perhaps late summer, it could be excellent material.
Rushes can be used but the result is too soft and springy, which is not good if trying to seal bees in for transport or let them build combs inside.
Traditional materials were straw or sometimes rushes for the bulk and strips of bramble stem or tree root for the binding. It is also possible to use willow skeins - stems split lengthwise with a cleave. Latterly most skeps are bound with lapping cane from the far east but this is a fairly recent introduction. The straw was usually wheat - one of the old tall varieties like those used in thatching, rather than the short modern types. Oat straw and rye were also used. Rye is a long smooth straw and makes a very good looking skep that lasts well. However, it is not much grown in the UK these days and hard to obtain. You may be able to find Triticale used by thatchers. This is a cross between wheat and rye and is good straw to work with. Lately I have sometimes used wild oats as straw since they are tall and strong growing plants that nobody else wants. Long ago some skeps were made with sticks as basketwork, often using material cut direct from a hedge.
There is a short description of how to make a wicker skep on the WILLOW BASKETS page.
I have added a separate page about preparing bramble for binding - turn to that for details.
Bramble is a lot stronger than cane but it takes a long time to prepare so I reserve it for special jobs and use cane for most work and for teaching. The photos below show cane,
Cane is bought in prepared hanks, usually 500g, and comes in standard widths. it has all been through a trimming machine and is quite ready for working. The usual width for skep making is 5mm or 6mm, wider than the usual for chair seating, which is what cane is mostly used for. Find your cane on the internet - several firms will supply it by post - or you may have a craft shop that will sell it to you. The best quality works out rather expensive, but lapping cane, which does not have the shiny outer surface, is cheaper. I buy mine from www.fredaldous.com .
Bramble is expensive on time and trouble rather than cash.
All these materials can be stored indefinitely if kept dry and out of reach of mice. Hang them up in your garage.
2. The tools you will need
Here you will need two essential tools, the two tools you cannot easily buy but must find or make for yourself.
One is a short tube, a gauge (cow horn? plastic bottle neck? serviette ring?) which holds the new straw together. It slides along and you poke in extra straw each time it gets loose, so that a continuous wreath of straw of the same thickness is fed into the skep wall. The size of the hole determines the thickness of the skep wall.
The second is also a tube, this time a needle or fid (originally bone, usually a bird bone - mine are turkey and swan bones) cut on the slant so that you have a U shaped spike to push through the straw. This is your needle and makes a channel so that it is possible to slide the binder through.
I have found a 15cm piece of 15mm copper water pipe, suitably cut, filed, shaped and given a handle, is a better but less authentic tool.
You can buy a fid meant for rope work if you go to a ships chandler or perhaps a well stocked craft shop. A Swedish fid is a steel tool made from a folded pointed long triangle of sheet metal and given a handle. It is meant for rope work but is fine for skep making. I also often use a spike or awl for difficult corners - see the ALTERNATIVE SKEP TECHNIQUES page
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Skep Tools
Clockwise :
at 1 o'clock an elderberry stick as needle; easy to make, works OK but wears out fast:
at 3 a swan wing bone with added wooden handle
at 5 copper pipe with wooden handle, my favoured fid, polished by much work.
at 7 and 9, swan and turkey bones
at 11 a thin piece of aluminium tube. This is good but wears away fast.
at 2,4,6,8,10 and 12 various horn, wood and plastic tubes and bottle necks used as gauges for the straw wreath
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3. Making a start
There are several ways to start but all involve winding the binder round a bunch of straw to start up a spiral. Here are eight different ways to begin building a skep.
3.1. Simplest but needing woodwork preparation is the circular central wood block (which may itself have a central hole). This is drilled all round the edge so that the binder can be sewn onto it trapping the beginning of the wreath of straw. When you have done the first complete circuit the binder starts to be threaded into the straw rather than the holes in the wood.
Here is what it looks like when complete. This was a commercially made old skep which I mended for a friend.
And below is the very start of a new skep. I cut the wood block from a 15cm wide plank using an electric jigsaw. The block need not be a perfect circle because the straw hides the edge. There are 32 holes because that is the easiest number to drill freehand, putting each new hole halfway between two previous ones.
3.2. With no central block the straw is tied to itself.
Have a handful of straw, maybe 25 good long straws. in your left hand with the butts all together pointing right. Poke the end of the binder into the centre of the straw then wrap it about 5 times tightly round the straw, taking the binder under and away from you and back over the straw towards you, working leftwards. Now twist this bound section of straw clockwise like like a turn of a snail shell, so that the ends come round under the binder, as it comes over to be threaded down through the centre of the ring. This makes the first turn of the spiral of straw. With this method you are left with a tuft of straw in the inside centre of the roof of the skep.
From this point the new stitches go through the older ones in the inner row.
You need to increase the number of stitches as the work gets wider by putting two stitches through one all round at first, then from time to time as you work wider.
The long added straws stick out to your left. Don't forget to add more straw often to keep the bundle tight in its plastic ring. I like to push the butt ends of the new straw into the centre of the bundle so that cut ends do not appear on the surface.
You are working with the skep upside down and the inside towards you. And you are adding to the far side of the wall, going left. This works best for right-handed people, with the needle in the right hand at the best angle for poking under each stitch. From here on put the needle through the turns of binder so the wreath is pulled bit by bit against the central ring and the spiral work begins.
(I'll put in some photos here to make this clearer).
3.3. Much the same as 3.2, but not leaving a tuft of straw sticking out. This time when you have turned the straw to make a snail shell start, tuck in the cut ends alongside the rest of the straw and bind them in with it as you work.
3.4, Method taught to me in France. I find this one of the easiest to understand and it makes a neat start. I give detailed steps because this is perhaps the best start for beginners. Again I describe it for right handed use.
f. Put two stitches through each one in the first ring because the spiral is expanding. This will be less important as you progress. From now on add a second stitch whenever the spacing seems to be getting too wide apart.
It's quite hard to push the fid through the stitches at first because of the narrow space but this will get much easier as the spiral grows wider.
There can be a little round hole left in the centre of the skep roof if made by this method. Big enough for single file bees to get through. I have been making little wooden plugs to pop into the hole and neaten the finish.
Find a stick that's a tight fit for the hole and carve a waist groove all round it close tto the end, using your pocket knife.
Cut off the 1cm end piece with the groove and force it into the hole. The groove is gripped by the cane and the plug won't fall out. Looks neat, works well.
3.5. To leave a big central hole as in a skep that is to have supers on it. Start the same way as method 2. but wind a longer bundle of straw with maybe 20 turns of binder. Now turn this into a circle and join it up by looping over the two thicknesses of straw. The new page STARTING YOUR VERY FIRST SKEP describes this method in detail
3.6. A Dutch method which produces a handle. Like method two but have a long bunch of straw sticking out beyond the wrapped portion so that after you have started the roof of the skep this extra straw can be wrapped, added to and bent in a big loop, then bound into the skep wall making a handle.
3.7. Zigzag method. Bind a short length of a bunch of straws for a few centimetres and then double it back on itself. Now sew into the original row of binder loops, round the end and back down the other side. The result can be an oval skep if you work on a long straight at first.
3.8. A German method. Pick up a good bunch of straw, double back the tops as a bunch to give a U shape end to the handful. Stitch your binder into the hole so formed and work round the U with a few stitches until you start binding the main bundle against the new centre. From then on proceed as for any skep. This is about the most straightforward method so far and the only thought adjustment you have to make is that the first bunch of straw is worked from top to bottom instead of butts first. Subsequent additions of straw are all butts first, as usual.
4. The ring that holds the straw
Once the centre of the skep is started, add the gauge ring to the straw wreath by carefully sliding it into position over the long tips of the straw, with the funnel shape where you cut off the bottle open to receive the new added straw. The bottle neck holds the straw together but, most important, it is used to measure the amount of straw so you know when to add more to keep the work even.
As you work the ring slides ahead along the straw to make room for the next stitch. If it starts to slide easily, it's time to add more straw.
Add new straw butt end first in small bunches of maybe 6 or 8 by pushing them into the centre of the wreath. This way all the thick ends are hidden inside.
Keep the gauge tightly full and pull every stitch tight as you go.
5. Stitching
The stitches are made by taking the binder as it emerges at the back of the work, bringing it over the wreath towards you and poking it into the next hole. Make the hole with your needle tool/fid so that it goes diagonally leftward through a stitch in the prevoius row and include a small part of the straw in the previous row. This way every stitch is looped through a stitch in the previous and subsequent rows and is therefore very strong.
Be careful not to twist the binder as this will weaken it. Keep the flat of the inside surface of the binder pressed against the straw wreath. The binder must always bend with its inner surface on the inside of the bend, outer surface on show.
6. Joining in new lengths of binder
Joining new bits of binder is done by doubling the ends together for a few inches and tucking the new one in to hide its end.
As you come to the end of a piece, keep enough for two stitches and add the thin end of the new strip by pushing it through the needle in the "wrong" direction, outside (under) the old bit which stays next to the straw. When both are pulled tight they will grip each other and make a secure and almost invisible join.
The end of the new piece is anchored by pushing it into the wreath through the last stitch of the old piece. To do this, spike a new diagonal hole in the top of the wreath and hide the end of the new binder in it so that when pulled tight the end is gripped in the straw.
Easier to show a picture than describe -
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The old strip (white) has the new one pushed through under it |
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Poking a new diagonal hole behind the previous stitch, the end of the new strip is pushed in at an angle so it is gripped when the stitch is tightened |
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now the stitch is tightened with double thickness of new and old strip and we proceed as before using the new strip. |
Once you have mastered joining in new pieces you will find it much better to work with shorter lengths than trying to wrestle with very long pieces of binder that constantly tangle and catch on things. Cut the very long bits in half - say 6ft long, maximum, and you save yourself a lot of tangles.
7. Adding straw
As you work you use up straw and must add more. Keep the ring that holds the straw tightly full by adding a few straws poked into the centre butt end first every time the ring feels a bit loose. This way the straws will overlap and there will not be sudden changes of diameter of the wreath. Choose your ring according to the size of skep - bigger diameter for big skeps. You can, of course, change to a wider ring as you work, making the wall thicker as you work down.
8. Tightness.
Tighten every stitch as you make it. This gives the skep its strength and allows you to shape it as you go by pushing the straw wreath into just the right position before you tighten the binder. A really tight skep is very strong and you should be able to stand or sit on it without it collapsing. Have a careful look at the position of the hands in the photos - you may notice that the left forefinger holds the binder whenever it has been pulled tight.
9. How to control the shape
Sewing the continuous spiral you are simply repeating the same stitch over and over. So from here on just spike a hole, wrap the bramble/cane round and through, pull it tight and repeat - about 500 times.
Getting the smooth curve of a nice skep takes practice. A slight alteration of the direction of the needle will move the wreath into a new position. Pull each stitch tight in such a way as to hold the wreath in the place you need it and gradually curve your work a tiny bit at a time. I tighten each stitch as I finish it and push the wreath into line before making the next hole.
10. Entrances
You can make an upper entrance, an entrance at the skep rim, or none. Where there is no entrance, a groove is usually cut in the base support to let the bees in and out.
10.1. Upper entrance. When your skep reaches the place the entrance is to be, cover a few inches of the straw with close turns of binder to make the roof of the hole. On the next time round, leave an unbound section of straw, which will later be cut out to be the hole. Third time round, again bind closely to make the "doorstep". Lastly use a sharp knife or scissors to cut out the straw in the hole. This cutting is best left until the skep is complete. A narrower entrance can be made by cutting just half of the wreath out as you go past the chosen position and bind the remaining half closely, making the "lintel" of the doorway. Next time round you bind closely to make the "doorstep" and by-pass the new hole.
10.2. Lower edge entry. This time you bind the roof of the entrance as above but in the last but one time round the skep. Leave an unbound area of straw in the very last round. Cut this out to make the entrance. Again you can make a half-height entrance by only cutting half the wreath away. The bottle top holds the wreath together so you can resume normal stitching on the other side of the entrance after you have close bound the lintel of the doorway.
10.3. No entrances. This is best for a skep that will be used to trap swarms as it can easily be sealed. If you need to let bees in and out either slip a couple of sticks under the edge or stand the skep on a prepared base that has a groove in it for bees to walk through.
11. Finishing the edge
To finish building simply stop adding new straw and let the wreath get thinner and thinner. When it's down to just a few straws, cut them off neatly and continue binding, in between the stitches of the previous round, so that the edge gets a double set of stitches spaced closely together to make the edge strong.
Bees sometimes remove straw from the edge so you might finish by binding a circle of hazel rod onto the edge. Trim and slope the ends to overlap neatly. With a wooden edge like this the skep will better withstand moist conditions.
Plastic cable ties are a useful way of temporarily holding the ends of the hazel together in a ring until the skep is complete and the binder holds the hazel.
12. Care of your completed skep
The way to preserve your skep is to keep it dry always. The straw will rot if left wet for long. A wetting perhaps once a year will tighten up the structure if it is getting a bit loose, but dry it out again quickly. Store it out of reach of mice when not in use. Bees living in a skep coat the inside with protective layer of propolis, which helps to preserve the structure and glues it all together like varnish. Some people varnish their skeps on the outside, too.
Skeps used to be the normal beehive in this country until the second half of the 19th century when wooden box hives with movable frames took over. The warmth from a colony of bees will keep a skep in good condition so long as it is sheltered from rain and not allowed to stand on a wet surface. For this reason skeps were either provided with a roof or cover, or kept in a shelter such as an alcove in a wall or a lean-to building. These shelters are known as bee boles and can still be found all over the UK. Have a look at the IBRA website to see a list and photos.
A straw cover, like a miniature thatched roof for a skep is called a hackle. In some areas skeps were "Cloomed". Clooming is coating the straw or basketwork beehive with a protective layer of cow dung, sometimes mixed with clay and/or sand, and adds a hard and insulating layer. If a fresh layer is added each year, it will keep the skep in usable condition for a long time. Dried cow dung has the advantage that it does not crack or split easily, though it is a smelly process applying it. Wear gloves! The result is a very strong hard coating and not smelly when dry. Wattle-and-daub house walls are very similar.
13. Scaffolding, cops and spleets
To support combs in a skep permanently inhabited by bees, several straight sticks are thrust right through from side to side and cut off flush on the outside. Dog-rose briars are traditional for this, being straight, strong and light (and free). Scrape off thorns and bark first.
Another method is to put a wood disc in the top of the skep. This is the "cop" and it is rounded on top to fit the skep, with a shallow hole underneath to hold the ends of the hazel "spleets".
Now split a hazel stick 4 ways and sharpen the lower ends to points. The hazel is bent and wedged in against the "cop" at the top and stuck into the straw sides. These are the "spleets" and they help resist the weight of full combs hanging from the top of the skep.
Without supports, combs can flop together and even fall out when you turn the skep up for inspections - not just messy but a disaster for the bees.
14. Repairs
Bees living in a skep often remove straw from the edge to make the entrance wider. In the process they expose the binder as bare rings. It's relatively easy to repair this damage when the skep no longer contains bees simply by unpicking a row and re-building the edge just as if it were a new skep you are making.
Damaged skeps can be repaired almost invisibly.
If, for example, you have a cylindrical flat-topped skep which has had its top corners damaged it is fairly easy to remove the flat top and rebuild it into a complete disc with a closed edge. Then invert the remaining ring of skep wall and sew on the newly repaired flat top. Now re-make the new edge as if you were finishing off a new skep in the usual way.
Done with care this produces a skep that is very nearly "as good as new". The wall is the other way up from originally, but this does not matter or show.
