Preparing Willow

There are many different varieties of willow, apparently 2,000-3,000 worldwide, but not all are suitable for weaving. Those grown specifically for basketry will be flexible enough for most weaving needs. The ‘Purpurea’ willows are soft to use, whereas triandras are more firm.

Willow is sold as follows

• Buff Willow– fresh willow is boiled and stripped of its bark. The colour from the bark goes into the wood during the process. Buff willow is quick to soak and can be re-soaked several times. It soaks within a few hours. After soaking it should be wrapped in a damp cloth overnight to mellow. In mellowing the water continues to soak to the centre while the moisture on the outside of the rod dries.

• Boiled or Steamed Willow – boiled as for buff willow but the bark is left on. The result is a lovely dark brown bark with a waxy feel. This willow takes longer to soak than buff willow but is quicker than willow that has its bark on and has not been processed.

• White Willow - The fresh willow stands in shallow pits of water. In early summer, the buds start to burst and the willow bark is loose. The willow is stripped, usually mechanically. The willow is then dried. White willow takes about the same time to soak as buff willow.

• Green Willow – Fresh willow, no matter what colour the bark is, is called green. When willow is first cut it can be woven with but shrinks a lot so it is recommended that it be left for 2 – 3 months in a cool airy store to dry slightly. When the bark has a vaguely wrinkled look it will have shrunk enough to weave with but not dried enough to need soaking.

• Brown Willow- Again, no matter what colour the willow bark is, if willow is dry it is called Brown. At this stage the willow will need soaking. The time needed for Black Maul is 1 day per 30cm in length. Some varieties will need soaking for longer. It is trial and error. Once soaked, the willow needs to be mellowed outside in the shade wrapped in a large cloth. Old Blankets, throws, curtains etc are good.  If the weather is cool, willow can be kept weave able in this way for 7-10 days. After this time it will go moldy.  If brown willow is re-soaked the bark will probably break up and would only then be suitable for willow garden structures such as plant supports or hurdles where appearance does not matter so much.

Soaking vessels

If you are lucky enough to have a freshwater stream or clean pond that you can use that is ideal. Basket makers tend to invest in a water trough and use that. The water would need to be changed regularly, particularly in hot weather.

For soaking small amounts of willow a plastic waste pipe, as those used for toilet waste, with a plug on one end is ideal. It does not need a lot of water and would be a fraction of the cost.