If you begin your first weaving activity with willow rods that resist your hands, you could find the experience annoying. Since willow is a naturally grown material, no two rods taken from the same basket are likely to be identical. Some will bend and follow through, while others may stiffen in response to the pressure and still others might be too thin to hold the shape you are trying to create. Before you proceed to make a basket, try to take a few moments to select rods that suit the task.
You need not spend much time looking for rods that work for this activity. Pick a rod that is pliable without being too supple. If you choose a rod that is too stiff and attempt to bend the rod around your stake in the tight bend that is near the thicker end of the rod it could snap. If you pick a rod that is too weak or supple the shape of your weave or the edge of your basket may not form because the rod does not provide any structure.
Pick up a rod and use one hand to bend it at the thicker end. Do not force it to bend beyond its capacity; simply apply pressure until it bends.
Different sizes of willow rods can be used for different parts of a basket. You would want spokes and stakes to be somewhat more rigid so that they maintain their position when you are using them to shape the basket and you would want weaver rods to be a bit more flexible so you can use them to bend and shape the basket. When you pick up your rods from a bundle, the different sizes are jumbled together. Take a few moments to pick out three separate piles for larger and medium sized rods as well as for small pieces of rod and pieces which seem to have broken or are damaged in some way.
Another factor that can affect how easy or difficult an activity is to complete with willow rods is moisture content. The rod you choose to use can look good and feel fine to you but can be too dry to use. A dry rod is hard to keep from cracking while you are bending it, difficult to work the weaving pattern through and causes the pressure that you apply to the weaving to be uneven because you have to use so much of your energy to bend the rod. If the exercise you are doing in the course involves the use of a wet or damp rod you should have prepared the rods that you intend to use before you begin to weave. Keep a bowl or spray bottle of water and damp cloth nearby if this is a factor for your activity.
Create a small sample to test your choices of rods. Weave a few weaver rods around some simple stakes. If the stakes pull together you may be using too many rods of the wrong size or bending the rods around the stakes too much. The stakes can be spaced out too far apart so your weaver can sit comfortably without pulling the stakes together, or the stakes will move inward toward the center of your basket if you use a rod that is too thin or too flexible. If your rows of woven rods open up or leave space between the rows it is likely your rod is too thin or supple for the exercise or if you are not weaving closely you will leave space between rows. Making a sample gives you a chance to see how the rods are behaving before you attempt to weave a basket which has to keep its shape.
Newcomers to willow weaving can get caught up with the beauty and uniformity of the willow and overlook the suitability of the rod for the particular activity. Straightness is important, however, it is only one of many qualities you should notice, including flexibility and moisture content. Some rods with uneven sizes work just fine for weaving samples and a beautiful thick rod could make it much more difficult for you to master your first weave. It is expected that all willow is different because it is a natural product and it is not your goal to be able to choose the most perfect rod. Your goal is to match the rod to the task.
Have some scrap rods available for joining and for testing. Before adding the new rod to the piece you are making, it is easier to determine how best to trim, hide the rod or use it as part of a join by testing how the end tucks behind a stake. Later on you will learn how to recognize a few key things in the rods as you use them; some bend smoothly when needed, others have to be bent more gently and some need a bit of a curve to bend at the thick end while others are dry and will break, a thin rod might work in the sample but the next size up may work better for the basket rim. Noticing all these things is one of your first skills in willow weaving.