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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 3, 2014 23:06:06 GMT
Another experiment over this weekend past was working with hemp. Somewhere along the fiber road I picked up this two-ounce bag of beautiful hemp fibers in a cream color. I decided to make a new cat mat and decorate with hemp. I remember to add some wisps of wool over the hemp so it would felt in with the wool roving. No problem there! It felted beautifully. IMG_5297 by catwycliff, on Flickr So it got me wondering if any of you have worked with hemp and if so, what you use it for. It appears to have some strength.
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 3, 2014 23:32:42 GMT
Very nice Cathy. I'm sure the cats will love it. I haven't felted with hemp, but have used it in papermaking a very long time ago. I wonder if the hemp was bleached. The hemp I've seen is usually brown. What was the texture like?
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 4, 2014 1:24:24 GMT
Thanks, Marilyn. The hemp label did not say it was bleached (which doesn't mean much) and the texture was--for lack of a better word--stringy. By that I mean tough with a strong pull to it. I can see that the hemp fibers would be used in paper making.
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 4, 2014 2:08:44 GMT
That sounds like hemp. How did it feel after felting? Still stringy and tough? It looks like it felted well and wasn't too stiff.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 4, 2014 14:17:29 GMT
It seems to have softened and has a bit of a silky look and touch, not too stiff. The strength of the fibers caused me to wonder if felters ever use the hemp as a strengthening fiber for firmer felt, perhaps sculptures. Was that the idea for the paper-making you did?
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Post by Shepherdess on Mar 4, 2014 15:07:41 GMT
I have only tried spinning it. I am joining a bast fiber study group at my guild this spring. Bast fibers are plant fibers where the fibers come from the inner bark of the stalk. I think. hemp and linen(flax) are to of them. traditionally they are spun wet. it helps the fibers stick together. perhaps the soap from felting removed the sticky part. Before the study I will felt some sample to take to the group
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 4, 2014 15:10:06 GMT
Cool, looking forward to hearing about your samplings of hemp fibers, Shepherdess.
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 4, 2014 17:11:35 GMT
Hi Cathy, I think Ann gave you a good description. Hemp was actually one of the first fibers to be used to make paper. The method was carried from China to Korea then Japan. But because it was never domesticated as a crop, kozo (mulberry tree) became the preferred fiber. The fibers for both are long and were easily separated during processing -- cooking with a caustic and beating. Obviously, it was a long arduous process. But produced a supple, transparent surface. Gampi (kemp) is said to be the most beautiful and capable of lasting forever and is insect repellent. All that said, I used it during a class, but can't find my sample of the paper but have the fibers. Here are pictures of the raw hemp and kozo. Russian hemp Kozo The hemp is very straw like. If you look closely at the kozo you can see the long fibers. Perhaps this summer I will process some and try them with felting. In their raw state they would indeed be very stiff. They are also very old. Has anyone else used raw fibers or plant fibers for felting?
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 4, 2014 17:13:28 GMT
BTW Cathy, I like your new photo!
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 4, 2014 19:28:34 GMT
Thanks for all the info. on plant fibers! I find the history of these fibers fascinating. When in Scotland, we toured a former jute factory, which used to be processed in the UK for many years, but then jute processing was taken over by India, which is where it is grown and harvested (makes sense).
Glad you like my photo--guess it's an improvement over the wool plaid scarf!
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Post by MTRuth on Mar 4, 2014 21:21:01 GMT
I too like your new avatar - it's nice to be able to picture you as you instead of a wool scarf I've used a bit of hemp in felting. It does get softer with felting but I do think Ann is right in that the soap and water must wash away some of whatever residue is on the plant fibers. I like the way they give such a different appearance with the tight squiggles. I do know that people around here use hemp to make macrame bracelets and the like. Kind of a hippie thing, I think. I think you can buy it on a spool already spun in various thicknesses.
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Post by Frances on Mar 5, 2014 0:44:58 GMT
What is a "cat mat"? Obviously I do not have kitty cats if that is what it for but some of my family does. Maybe I could make a gift for them.
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Post by zed on Mar 5, 2014 11:11:32 GMT
I've used hemp quite a lot, and agree it is very similar to flax/linen, maybe a bit lighter. Very much like dried grass/plant matter before use, and softer and shinier after felting. Kind of 'hackly'. You can get great effects depending on which breed of wool you use it with.
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Post by Shepherdess on Mar 5, 2014 14:05:06 GMT
Francis, its just a little rug for your cat to sleep on. Cats just seem to love wool.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 5, 2014 14:13:06 GMT
So, Zed, have you used the hemp to add strength to your felt projects, or have you used it mostly as embellishment? Do you know which sheep breeds it works with best?
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