This has been a whirlwind of a new year. Never did I imagine that a call to Jim about tools would end in me taking over the business, but I am thrilled to continue what Jim so beautifully started.

Winter harvest is one of the busiest and most exciting times of the year here. The farm feels alive even under frost, (or rain) and full of plans and promise. That said, all this cutting, sorting, and planting does leave very little time for weaving at the moment. But this is the season that makes all the weaving possible later. And for now, we’ll happily trade weaving in the studio for crisp air, good friends, and armloads of beautiful willow.

January is turning out to be quite a busy month. I’m displaying my baskets for the first time at Art Gallery 505, a cozy local co-op art gallery. This small Toledo gallery brings a surprisingly wide variety of local artisans together and features everything from fabric arts, painting, ceramics, woodworking, photography and now willow basketry!

We are approaching harvest. The willow looks beautiful, the leaves are nearly all off, and the plants are dormant.