Materials
We mainly use willow that we have grown organically on our croft on the Isle of Eigg.
We grow varieties that have been selected to provide a wide range of colours as well as other physical characteristics such as strength and flexibility.
The varieties of willow that we grow the most are:
Flanders Red, Harrison, Black Maul, Salix daphnoides,
Slender tip, Brittany Green, Brittany Blue, Packing twine,
Chermesina, Continental and Le Bleu
We also like to use dogwood and other hedgerow materials in our work depending on the season.
Cultivation
Our willow is grown in closely spaced rows to promote long, straight, branchless growth, producing stems, (known as rods), ideal for basket making. The willow is harvested, (coppiced), annually, during the winter months. Each rod is cut by hand using secateurs and loppers, then gathered up and graded to length using a grading barrel. Bundled rods are stacked under cover to dry out slowly to be ready for use the following summer. The natural colours develop as the willow dries out and can be varied by exposure to more or less sunlight.
Finally, the dried rods are sorted by thickness ready to be stored and used in the workshop.