You can steam your own willow at home. Any brown willow is suitable for steaming. Each variety will give different colour variations once steamed. You can steam any variety or type of willow which still has its bark on. You shouldn’t really need to steam buff, Buff Noir, or white willow other than to give it an aged finish. Over-steaming bark-off willow can make it slimy and squishy. Purpureas, on the other hand, are a type of willow that love to be steamed and respond well to weaving in a heated environment.
Before steaming, you need to soak your willow for the same amount of time you would usually soak brown (bark-on) willow.
When steaming, take care with boiling hot water and steam, and be mindful of the pressure building up in the steaming chamber.
Take care when releasing pressure from and when opening any steaming chamber.
Willow steamed at home: Transfer your willow to a hessian mellowing sheet or mellowing blanket, and leave the rods lying down for a few hours before using them. The time the rods will need to mellow depends on the type and length of the willow.
More information on steaming can be found in my book Willow to Weave
A few final handy steaming tips
Before steaming, you need to soak your willow for the same amount of time you would usually soak brown (bark-on) willow.
When steaming, take care with boiling hot water and steam, and be mindful of the pressure building up in the steaming chamber.
Take care when releasing pressure from and when opening any steaming chamber.
Willow steamed at home: Transfer your willow to a hessian mellowing sheet or mellowing blanket, and leave the rods lying down for a few hours before using them. The time the rods will need to mellow depends on the type and length of the willow.
More information on steaming can be found in my book Willow to Weave
A few final handy steaming tips
- You cannot steam dry willow or fresh willow; ensure it has had around three-quarters of its usual soaking time before steaming.
- It’s best to used steamed willow straight away, as it doesn’t like being re-soaked or stored damp for long periods. Therefore, ensure you only soak the amount of willow you intend to use within a couple of days.
- If you steam willow for too long, it may end up feeling slimy. It’s best to steam your willow for a shorter time, mellow and then check it, rather than assuming it is ready to weave straight away.
- You will never easily colour match your willow from one steam to the next, so make sure you steam a few spares.