07.25.10
Cotton
Aaron recently found an interest in planting cotton. He found some green and brown cotton seeds and planted them a few weeks ago.
Each morning he would check his pots and call me to see the progress. He was so happy when they first poked out of the soil, and we all got a kick at how fast they sprouted up once the sprout broke through the soil.
So it was particularly timely that the LA Spinner’s Guild meeting this month turned out to feature cotton. The guest speaker shared lots of information from the cotton plants to the harvesting of the cotton, and then the preparation of the cotton for spinning, and then down to the spinning. Here’s a pic comparing the boles of cotton. The white ones are the largest. Next come the green, and then the brown. Aaron planted both the green and the brown at home.
The speaker showed us how to use a manual cotton gin and prepare the cotton into punis ready for spinning.
She also brought along a bunch of cotton spinning supplies such as these tahklis, which she let a bunch of the group try.
And here she is demonstrating how to spin the cotton.
The procedure is very much like spinning wool, only much finer.
The other fun things the guild had in store this weekend was a show and tell of stuff the women made during the “Tour de fleece,” and the “Dye Fest.” Here’s one of the ladies showing what she made.
Here’s a close up of some of the lovely yarn another woman spun up and dyed.
Very nice! Maybe one day I’ll get to this point, but for now. . . must practice!
Marlakins
