Willow at Sea...
Hi, I'm Jasmine Wakeford and along with my partner Paul Collins we run Highland Willow. When we're onboard Bluebell in the summer months we work on Willow at Sea. We've put this website together to provide some information about the challenges of weaving with willow at sea!
Jasmine & Bluebell
In the summer I weave from my boat 'Bluebell', a lovely traditional Cornish Yawl. At 24ft long she's quite small but I just about manage to squeeze in enough willow rods to keep me busy through the summer. If it's exceptionally calm I'll sometimes weave whilst underway, but most of the time I weave at anchor where it's sheltered enough to work without getting seasick!
Soaking
The first challenge is to soak the willow to make it supple for weaving. This can take up to 3 days and despite the abundance of water all around the boat unfortunately salt water is no use! So I lug fresh water containers from ashore to fill reusable soak bags with the willow rods inside. I secure these to the deck of the boat and leave them to work their magic. The sun speeds up the process, warming the water and helping to soften the willow.
Weaving and Mellowing
Once the willow's been soaked, it must first be mellowed (wrapped in damp cotton for 24 hrs) before weaving can finally begin. This is the most enjoyable part. If the weather is calm it can be very therapeutic and I often feel so lucky to be able to work from such stunning locations.
Drying
Once woven, the finished pieces need to thoroughly dry out. Onboard Bluebell the easiest way to do this in fine weather is to lay the finished pieces out on deck. The summer sun and gentle breeze makes for perfect drying conditions.
A new delivery
I weave with willow grown in Somerset. If I need to restock my supply it can be quite challenging getting the willow delivered to a boat!
It's a welcome sight to see a bundle of sticks with my name on it sitting waiting on the quay in Bryher. The final leg is a short ride in the dinghy out to Bluebell.
A helping hand
I don't do all this on my own, thankfully!
My partner Paul is on hand to help me out whilst also skippering Bluebell.
He's tried weaving but has decided his strengths lie elsewhere...!
