Next up for the twinging example cards is sunflower fiber. This is a long line bast fiber from the stalks of sunflowers. For me, this sunflower fiber feels similar to flax in length, fiber thickness, and when I twine it. It has a beautiful golden luster as well.
Photo description: laser cut flat wood spool with twine made from sunflower bast fiber, laying on a bed of uncombed sunflower fiber
I used this sunflower fiber, along with a length of grape vine, to finish my okra and sugar cane basket.
Photo description: in process: loop of grapevine bound to the top loops of an okra and sugar cane basket with sunflower twinePhoto description: “Crops basket” small looped basket made from okra fiber, sugar cane fiber, grape vine, and sunflower fiber
It is a surprisingly sturdy little basket that does have some flexibility, but can stand on its own. It pleased me that I was able to make it from the discard parts of commercial food crops, hence the name “Crops basket”.
I was gifted some deer sinew from a local hunter to make my next twine example. I used a little bit of water to moisten the dried sinew to make it pliable, and oh is it pliable. I could put more twist in this than any other fiber I’ve worked with before it started to ply back on itself.
Photo description: twining deer sinew using a small bowl of water for my fingertips, dried sinew shown upper left
The collagen powder from the sinew made for sticky work, and I had to change out my bowl of water frequently, but the sinew is really, really strong, and very stretchy when damp. I did tear the sinew sections apart, but chose to make a thicker twine for this example. Sinew can be separated farther and twined very thin to use as sewing thread. When dry, the twine is hard until it is worked. I made an extra inch of twine past the card, knotting it on either side to test flexibility, and while it was wet it was rubbery, then dry it was hard and stiff, but once I bent and twisted it, it became flexible, but still very strong. It is easy to see why this material has been used as binding since before recorded history.
One of the other fibers I purchased from Conserving Threads was sugar cane, which has a very similar look and feel to the okra stalk fiber, but was in finer strands. I let this fiber rehydrate overnight in a damp towel and twined it at the same thickness as I did for the okra stalk.
After I finished my twined card for the sugar cane, I twined the rest into the basket I started with okra twine. To keep the sides as even as possible, I used a glass cylindrical vase as a form to guide my loops.
Photo description: twined okra stalk and twined sugar cane stalk used to make a looped basket on a cylindrical vase form
I’m quite pleased with how closely the okra twine and sugar cane twine match in size, color, and sturdiness. Because the twine is robust but flexible, the looped basket holds shape, even when off the form and turned right side up.
I purchased okra stalk fiber from the Conserving Threads shop on Etsy. This is a thick papery plant material, so to make it more pliable for twining I wrapped it in a damp towel overnight. The cordage I was able to twine is strong and sturdy, but rough.
Photo description: okra stalk fiber twined onto a laser cut flat wood spool laying on a pile of damp okra stalk
I put the entire bundle of fiber in the damp towel, but I didn’t need it all for the example card. Rather than drying out the extra, I decided to twine it and make a looped basket.
Photo description: beginning of a twined simple loop basket made from okra stalk
Using all the rest of the okra stalk in my bundle made a rather shallow basket, so I think I will supplement with another material.
Photo description: okra stalk basket after several rows of looping
I collected canna leaves and stalks from very willing donors around town. These very tall herbaceous plants have large leaves and strong stems that have to be cut, not pulled. I dried the leaves, then rehydrated gently by wrapping them in a damp towel overnight. If twined or woven before drying, the material has too much moisture and will shrink significantly. By drying first, then adding back moisture just until the material is pliable, the shrinkage is minimized.
Photo description: dried canna leaves on a damp cotton towel
I tore the leaves into about one inch sections, separating most of the thin papery leaf from the long strands of the stem. Some stem fibers came away with the leaf.
Photo description: strips of canna leaf in the process of twiningPhoto description: laser cut flat wood spool with canna leaf twine, loose strips of canna leaf next to the cardPhoto description: two twined cards, one made from the canna leaf, one made from the separated stems
The twined leaves have a fuller more even appearance, but the twined stem feels stronger.
I still have the stalks to process, which will involve retting, which is something new for me. I am hoping the retting process, which breaks down the material around the fibers, makes it easier to free the very strong stalk fibers.
