Willow rods don’t always behave nicely when they try to wrap around stakes. Sometimes they curve around smoothly, providing even resistance, and sometimes they snap and fight back, making your row of stakes hard to control. It all comes back to soaking and flexibility in willow weaving. To make a pattern look good, the material first needs to be flexible.
To check the flexibility, take one practice rod and gently bend it into an arc prior to weaving. Using steady, rather than sudden, pressure, hold one end of the rod with one hand and use the other hand to bend it into a curve, starting from the thicker end. If it feels springy and controlled, you might be ready to experiment with an over-under pattern. If it creaks and splinters or resists the bend, it needs more soaking or should not be used.
Soaking doesn’t just make the willow wet; it changes its behaviour when you apply pressure in your hands. A rod that has been treated to the right level of flexibility is likely to curve around stakes with a bit less force, fold around joins and tuck neatly, and lay close to the previous row. If the rod is too dry, the weave may lift off the surface, create gaps and pull stakes out of line as the hands try to manipulate the rod.
However, you can go the other way too. Rods that are too limp and soft aren’t suitable for the task. They struggle to maintain tension, which is critical for the base and for walls when the woven shape needs support. Some beginners think that the more soaking they do, the easier the weaving, but what we’re aiming for is controlled flexibility, a rod that is bendy yet strong enough to hold its shape.
In short practice weaving sessions, you will notice the willow change as you work. Because the rods are natural, they will dry out, particularly at the ends. What started as a flexible weave can get stiff and break, often as you are halfway through a sample. It may be necessary to stop and check that you’re working on a flexible rod rather than trying to bend it with your hands. This helps prevent broken rods, and you’ll achieve a more consistent spacing between rows.
Rod flexibility is also related to rhythm as you follow an over-under pattern. With a flexible rod, hands are free to move and focus on a weave path, over one, under one, and gently push it against the previous row. A non-flexible rod causes you to struggle with it instead, resulting in more errors. The weaving path is easy to skip, tension can tighten unexpectedly, and a wall that needs to stay even can become thinner and thinner.
As a basketry beginner, it can be helpful to keep coming back to a simple question for every new piece of willow I use as I start on a basket: does this rod bend as I need to bend it in this section? Doing this check can ensure that the first few rows don’t crack or break, twist and turn and not remain in line. When you treat soaking, moisture and flexibility as part of the craft, instead of as preparation to rush through, weaving becomes smoother.