Mud rooms are a great place for baskets. That room just inside the back door where you keep your hats, gloves, overcoats, and boots. Katherine has made a number of willow baskets by commission for such a purpose. They are usually square baskets for efficient space use on shelving. One of the challenges is getting equally sized baskets. Although dowels are used on the corners, they are no forms or jigs used; just hands, eyes, and a ruler.

The set above is made from Green Dicks or Dicky Meadows willow grown here on our farm. Besides color and size, there is also a choice of handle styles. The ones above have an inset handle on two sides. The set below of red and green baskets have roped handles on one side. The handles are still made from willow; “roped” just refers to the technique or style. The customer wanted a roped handle on one side for pulling the baskets out from their place on a shelf, but not on the other side so that they can be pushed in flush with a wall.

This set was for a family of six. Wonder if they had a cat too?