Pure gold willow

Whilst in the village car park yesterday, I discovered a huge pile of willow branches.  A cunning plan formed in my mind, and today I set it in motion. 

I've wanted to learn how to weave baskets for a while now, and just recently bought an excellent book - Handmade Baskets by Suzie Vaughan.  I was inspired by how she forages for materials.  She made her first basket from a fallen willow she encountered on a walk, and now here was this golden pile of branches for me. 

The whole day has reminded me of fairytale characters.  I thought it was wise to check first in the shop in front of the car park, to see if the offcuts had an owner.  I felt like I was interacting with a troll under a bridge or something, as he certainly didn't make things easy for me.  However I was persistently cheerful, and in the end was allowed to pass unhindered, and onwards to my goal . 

I should have brought my gloves, as the branches were covered in frost, but i worked my way though the pile and in the end got most of it in the generous rear of Charis the Yaris.  I've already earmarked some pieces for interesting handles, and there was another species of tree there which had red berries and purple branches which will be attractive woven in with the yellow willow. 

I feel like I need to engage the services of Rumplestiltskin, as I think once again I may be overextending myself.  It's a huge pile of willow, and I have a lot of other irons in the fire.  Sometimes I think I need to clone myself.  Anyway, the pieces I don't use will make lovely firewood. 

I currently have some willow wands developing healthy buds in a pot in my greenhouse.  I struck them last autumn, not really knowing if it would work or not, but they all seem to have taken.  I plan to establish several varieties of willow for copicing at the far end of the long allotment, so I can add to the materials I forage from the hedgerows with my own crop for weaving. 

I'm going to quarter the land at the end of the plot with a cross, and ultimately place a beehive in the middle.  It will be surrounded by the willow, which will provide a wind break for the long stemmed wheat I intend to grow there.  Long stemmed wheat has a tendency to make its own crop circles if there's a strong wind.  I've been hankering after a field of it ever since I took on the allotment.  Brian a fellow allotmenteer said I could have some of his, but then he was taken ill and it got past the planting time. 

Ideally I'd love to grow Maris Widgeon, which is the wheat traditionally used for corn dollies.  I used to make corn dollies when there was long stemmed wheat readily available in the fields, but now it is all short stemmed.  This is no good for corn dollies, as you need a good long straw to make the forms.  So this November I am determined to aquire a supply and sow it.