2025 - What I did today

Stowed the surplus 5p veg in bins in the shed.
I have spuds. carrots. parsnips, 2 swede, sprouts, a big white cabbage and shallots. Should keep me fed for a few weeks.
Not sure how well the sprouts will store, since they're not on their stalk. If you don't try, you wont know!

After cleaning a cottage this morning. The only thing I’ve done is put my Christmas present to soak for 3 days. Bob brought me a weaving kit.

After cleaning a cottage this morning. The only thing I’ve done is put my Christmas present to soak for 3 days. Bob brought me a weaving kit.

Can you explain the soaking bit please? Need to know why.

After cleaning a cottage this morning. The only thing I’ve done is put my Christmas present to soak for 3 days. Bob brought me a weaving kit.

Can you explain the soaking bit please? Need to know why.

I have to soak the willow branches before I can use them for weaving. It makes them more supple. I got a long thin bag with the kit. And a link with a special code to the tutorial videos. The sticks have to soak for 1 day per foot. So 3 days soak. Then I tip the water out. Reseal the bag and the sticks have to marinate for 24 hours. So new year’s day I’ll be able to try my hand at weaving for the first time. The kit Bob brought me is to make 3 swallows. He said he brought that one because it looked difficult.

Aah, its willow weaving! I could only think of wool weaving.
Are you growing any willow? Would soak up some of your ground water and you could cut it for weaving. Another product for your sales barrow maybe?

Aah, its willow weaving! I could only think of wool weaving.
Are you growing any willow? Would soak up some of your ground water and you could cut it for weaving. Another product for your sales barrow maybe?

We’ve got a few willow that will go in our hedging when we plant it. Part of our fence is still temporary so until we’ve finished having big deliveries we can’t finish that. In turn we can’t plant the hedging. I wouldn’t mind other varieties of willow. You can get some very colourful stems. Love all the fluffy catkins. Doesn’t seem to be many varieties up here. Because I would have given them a little prune, as they root very easily from cuttings.

Willow weaving sounds a useful hobby especially if you can grow your own willow.

I bought a dozen mixed willow 'cuttings' once just for the different bark colours. As you say, very easy to root. I think about 75% rooted. Unfortunately for me the ones that rooted well were the ones with the boring stem colours as I was really after the yellow and orange barked ones. It was intersting to see there growth habits as well (one shot up to 25 feet in two years and had to be cut down as it was encroaching on my neighbours garden)  I have a few with brown bark, one with green bark and one with dirty yellowish bark.

I went on a Willow day once. Made a "butterfly" and came away with a bundle of cuttings as I wanted to make a "den". It started off OK - most of the circle grew but I failed when it came to weaving the side stems in, to close the "walls". Still fancy a "den" - big kid that i am.