My weaving journey so far
Willow beds in Summer
I am learning basket-making with the guidance of Hanna Van Aelst and Monique Bervoets. I am also learning from the willow with each new basket I weave. I made my first basket in 2017 on a weekend course with Monique. I began planting basketry willow straight away, but it was during the spring of 2023, six years later, that I decided to spend as much time as I could weaving baskets and becoming a basket-maker. I was working through Hanna Van Aelsts online round course, which I’d received Lantra’s women in the rural economy funding for, but had been progressing very slowly with due to working and crofting and having young kids. I was also spending time with Monique Bervoets, while she delivered workshops locally to school and scout groups.
When I decided to throw myself into basket making with the hope of selling baskets from willow grown here on the croft, I purchased Hanna’s online oval and square courses which I am currently working through. I was lucky to spend a week in Ireland on an immersive 5 day course with Hanna in the summer of 2023, developing my skills and confidence. I am looking forward to returning this summer, thanks to a Visual Artist and Creative Maker award from Creative Scotland and Highlife Highland.
I am growing over 25 species of basketry willow on a croft on the Isle of Skye. Along with my partner Phil and our daughters, we are constantly learning how to grow fruit and veg, finding out what grows well here, and what we like to eat. We’ve planted native trees and hedges, we’ve dug ponds, and cut meadows to create habitat for native wildlife. Biodiversity is the number one goal in everything we do on the croft. It’s a work in progress to slowly create a forest garden, which can provide us with food, fuel and fibre. We get lots of help from our friends, and our kids sometimes help with the planting and harvesting too. Now that the trees, hedges and willow beds are established, we are considering introducing livestock to help us manage the croft and have just welcomed two male ducks (slug patrol) and six hens.
Our friends have kindly let me plant willow on their crofts, and others have agreed to let me use willow from their beds in exchange for baskets and help with harvesting. I plant new varieties each winter to increase my willow rod supply. I hope to have a wee workshop and space to dry and soak willow on the croft. At the moment it all happens in our kitchen. I also hope to deliver basket-making and weaving courses and workshops in the future.