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Willow (Osier):
The primary basket material—flexible, strong, available in long rods perfect for weaving. Willow grew in wet areas, along streams, in marshy ground. It was harvested in winter when the sap was down, making the rods easier to work and less likely to rot.
The harvested willow was sorted by thickness—thick rods for stakes (the structural uprights), medium rods for weaving, thin rods for binding and finishing. The rods were sometimes stripped of bark (creating white willow), sometimes left with bark (brown willow), sometimes boiled before stripping (buff willow).
Each type had properties: white willow was most flexible, brown willow was tougher, buff willow was intermediate. The basket-maker chose based on the basket’s purpose—delicate work needed white willow, heavy-duty containers used brown willow.
Hazel:
Used for frames, handles, and the strongest stakes. Hazel was less flexible than willow but stronger, able to bear weight without bending. Split hazel (the rod split lengthwise into thin strips) created strong yet pliable material for specialized weaving.
Reed and Rush:
Wetland plants providing different textures and properties. Reeds were hollow, light, good for making large baskets that needed minimal weight. Rushes were softer, more pliable, suitable for finer work.
Both were seasonal—harvested in summer when growth was complete, then dried and stored for winter basket-making when agricultural work slowed.
The Preparation:
Dried materials had to be soaked before weaving—rehydrating them made them flexible again, preventing cracking and splitting. The soaking time depended on material and thickness—thin willow might need only hours, thick hazel could require days.
The basket-maker learned to judge readiness by feel—the material should bend without resistance but not feel waterlogged. Too dry and it cracked. Too wet and it slipped, refused to hold tension.
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