Tag: soybean

Soybean top page

On By CarynIn Craft

I have finished a new fiber page for my spinning book! I mounted all my samples from hand spinning soybean top (top is the description of the fiber preparation, involves combing, and produces parallel fibers) on prepped black card stock. I would definitely use this fiber again, it is very strong, yet so soft.

Photo description: Soybean top fiber page. Clockwise from top left: original card from Hearthside Fibers reading “Soybean Top Developed in the USA in the 1930s by Henry Ford Used in Ford car upholstery pre-1940”, single spun, 2-ply, and 4 ply yarn samples, woven swatch, nålbinding swatch, crochet swatch, knit swatch, combed fiber.
Photo description: same page with swatches flipped up to show the writing underneath: plain weave on Clover mini loom, nålbinding Dalarna O/U O:U O, crochet 1.75mm hook, Stiockinet size 2 needle knit.

Soybean fiber

On By CarynIn Craft

I’ve finished spinning the singles for my soybean fiber. It has quite the halo. I think if I had used water to wet it as I spun, as is done with flax, it might have less fly away fibers. I’ll mark that as a future experiment.

Photo description: Soybean fiber before spinning, the fibers really like to expand and float.
Photo description: Soybean fiber after spinning, wrapped nostepinne style around a prototype Phase Spindle. Many fuzzy ends visible along the edges of the yarn cop.

Soybean fiber was developed by Henry Ford around 1937 in his push to promote soybeans in the marketplace. He also developed a soybean plastic and produced a limited number of soybean cars, with plastic body parts and soybean fabric door panels. The fiber is now gaining in popularity and obtaining soybean combed top for spinning is easy. It is also referred to as vegetable cashmere, which fits with that soft fuzzy halo I obtained with my yarn.