As a thirteen-year-old boy in 1991, he used to visit his neighbor Ernest Bach, a basket weaver, who showed him the basics of weaving baskets from willow rods. However, he didn’t succeed at it, so he didn’t really pursue weaving. It was only around the year 2000 at university that the topic of basket weaving caught his interest again. Around that time, his grandmother also expressed concern in a dream about who would make baskets for her after her husband’s death. This triggered Igor Lastovka’s renewed interest in the craft. Initially, clumsy pieces came from his hands, but he persevered and now, alongside baskets from willow rods, he can weave various types of whips (taught to him by Július Balogh), goose feathers for dusting, whips (learning weaving and braiding from Lukáš Janošku in Pohorelá), as well as baskets and lids from straw.

Weaving straw caught his attention through literature – he was captivated by Majling’s Folk Crafts in Slovakia and Šenfeld’s Straw Weaving, but the first person to show him how to make straw lids in person was master folk artisan Karol Tencer, whom he visited at his home in Novej Bani in 2005. He recorded the process on a video camera, which he remains loyal to this day, now also known and utilized in the area as an amateur cameraman for various social events.

He doesn’t cultivate the rods, but gathers them from wild growth. He doesn’t select based on thickness, he is able to utilize all – as he says, for example, with rods, hens won’t care about their beauty. The only criterion for him is that the rod doesn’t break when bent. He weaves from fresh rods, placing emphasis on thorough beating of the weave. He also encircles straw baskets with boiled willow twigs. The twigs must come from well-ripened rods, to avoid cracking. He also tries to grow material for straw products, finding success with durum wheat, less so with spelt. However, he can also source them from growers in the vicinity. Likewise, when weaving straw lids and baskets, strong tightening of the strands is important to him.

He has a workshop in the cellar of his house, where the relative humidity creates an optimal environment for basketry. Straw and willow can maintain their natural moisture here, and can be used without soaking. He doesn’t produce for stock, only when people ask him, which suits him more than going to sell products at fairs. If he does present publicly, he prefers to participate in events related to creative workshops.

Overall, he enjoys exploring various things and learns many interesting facts. Thanks to his activity, he is well known among people in a wide area and in the basketry community.