It is easy to go out in the yard and gather dead irises leaves, wrap them in a damp towel for a few hours until they are supple, and twine them.
I used whole leaves for this twine, making it thicker than other twining examples.
All my twine is Z twist because I twine right handed, twisting one side away from me, then bringing it forward. This feels like the most ergonomic way for me to twine. I have tried twining left handed and I can do it but it is frustrating and slow.
I have been using Texas grown cotton sliver, a combed preparation, to spin on a Great Wheel at the Doss Heritage center. The sliver is very smooth and all the fibers are aligned, but it has been fighting me when I spin. So I took it back a step and carded it. This mixes the alignment of the fibers, especially when I roll it up into a rolag.
This woolen preparation (fibers not aligned is “woolen”, fibers aligned is “worsted”) actually spins much easier with fewer clumps and bumps. The draft zone flows better and the wheel and I happily spun for an hour (three rolags) with very few issues. The wheel did pick up a squeak, which I remedied with spinning wheel oil.
I will be demonstrating at the Pioneer Festival at the Doss Heritage Center in Weatherford, Texas on October 3rd, 2026!
Next up for twining was some combed hemp fibers. I was rather surprised how short these fibers are, especially compared to flax, with a staple length of 3-4” for what I had. Other preparations can be longer. Still, it twines up well, especially using a small sponge to keep my fingertips hydrated.
Another fiber artist was trying to figure out a mystery fiber and what they described seemed very similar to hemp: staple length, sheen, feel. I did a burn test to compare data and the hemp burned fast, leaving very little ash, and had a smell of burned paper, which is typical of cellulose fibers.
The twine itself is strong and flexible, and surprisingly soft.
In October 2018 I finished a pair of fingerless gloves. I’m quite pleased with these, I knit a brown glove with wool yarn with stockinette stitch for the base and moss stitch for the edges, then used white wool to crochet a simple picot lace to the wrist and fingers. Using the same white wool I embroidered a mirrored leaf design on each glove. To plan the leaf design I digitally drew on a picture of the gloves then used my drawing as a guide for the stitches.
I really enjoy making things using multiple methods in a single item. One day I’ll figure out how to make something spun, woven, knit, crocheted, nålbound, and embroidered.
I was able to wait for the finish to dry before warping up my new inkle loom, but I didn’t take pictures until I had woven for a while.
I made my rigid heddle a little taller than it needed to be, but it fits nicely between the upright supports and the removable side. It spreads the threads out quite a bit, and I’m struggling with keeping the band a consistent width, so I marked my shuttle with quarter inch ticks. On the next shuttle design I’ll engrave a ruler. I’ll also make adjustments to the size; I don’t like how the thread builds up on this design.
