milkweed! flowers, fiber, twine

[asakiyume]

This year I'm mainly growing milkweed. Milkweed for flowers, milkweed with the garlic and other vegetables:





In part that's for pollinators and monarch butterflies, but it's also in large part for the super strong, super beautiful **fibers* that milkweed produces. I realized I can put that chambira fiber knowledge to work here with my own, local fibers. I used to have a goal of trying to spin the fibers... in spite of the fact that I've never spun anything. But in the Amazon, they're not spinning the chambira fibers, they're making twine--well I can do that! There are a thousand videos on Youtube of people turning milkweed fibers into twine.

Here are the dried stalks from last year.



And here's some of the fiber:



You separate the fibers from the inner pith, and you end up with long ribbons. They're not pure white like those fibers in the last picture, I think because of the mildew and weathering from being outside. I'm going to experiment with processing fresher stems. The ribbons remind me so much of the chambira palm fibers!



And here it is as twine! I have several little bits of twine now. Next two projects: (1) dyeing it with the madder I've got growing in the yard and (2) making bracelets!

Comments

[squirrelitude]

I know dogbane (Apocynum) as "Indian Hemp", but that's common names for you. :-)

In my experience, dogbane is *really* good for this, much better than Common Milkweed at least. Very sturdy fibers. But with milkweed you can sometimes get this wonderfully smooth and silky stuff. Not as strong, but quite pretty.

[asakiyume]

"Indian hemp" is a nicer name than "Dogbane" for sure!

We have an awful lot of milkweed and much less dogbane, otherwise I'd definitely try dogbane as well.

[squirrelitude]

I transplanted some dogbane into the back yard two moves and maybe 10 years ago, to the ongoing displeasure of one of the current tenants. (It's quite hard to get rid of.) I should make another attempt to move some to the Somerville Community Path, although the rhizomes are *so* deep. It hasn't worked the last couple times I've tried—the transplants just die. Maybe need to wait until early spring.

[asakiyume]

I'm very tentatively celebrating a (maybe? dare I believe) successful transplant of something else that's notoriously difficult to transplant: sassafras. A tiny seedling. They hate to be disturbed. It looked so very dead after the transplant... but a couple of leaves hung on, and now it has little green spots that look like they want to grow into more leaves. I would adore to have a sassafras tree in my yard.

[squirrelitude]

Oh, how exciting! And a mature sassafras would be an unusual sight, too. Or perhaps I'm just bad at noticing the adult trees, and there are *so many* of the saplings, waiting for their chance at a light gap. :-)

[asakiyume]

They really do like to sapple... But I suppose somewhere there are bigger ones. They must just be shy. (That little group is from a trail nearby.)