Salish weaving
I came across this wiki on Salish weaving while looking for information on nettles. This is what the article had to say about their use of nettles:
Twine made from the bark of nettle stems was used extensively in the manufacture of items requiring strength through a firm, sturdy warp strand. Dried nettles were damped to make the bark sufficiently flexible, while the pith of the stem remained dry and brittle. By splitting the stem and rubbing it over a blunt edge, the bark would separate from the pith. This bark was then beaten and combed, or carded into a soft tissue which could be spun with the use of a spindle similar to the spinning of wool. Twine produced from nettle fiber was of great strength and utilized in the making of nets and fishing line, as well as for a warp in weaving.
Did you know the Salish weavers also made twine from milkweed fibre, and blankets from a mixture of milkweed fluff, dog hair, and wool from mountain goats? Such creative people, and I bet the objects they made from these materials were both beautiful and functional.
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