Civilian Saddle Blanket

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Finally! Sounds like the odds of me ever obtaining a moss blanket have just gone up!

[Mrs Paul L Muller]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Next time we have something difficult to do, we'll just tell you that you can't do it! :wink_smil

That's about it. :p (Paul, don't try this at home!)

I really hope Spin-Off! decides to do an article on this process. Spin-Off! is an international magazine for spinners & weavers. The editor-in-chief has already expressed interest in the process. We're just in the waiting process while the moss rots. Hopefully the article will generate an interest in the fiber arts world for making Sp.M. and there will be a few more available. At the very least, the process will be documented at Interweave Press for future fiber artists.

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

While it is not Civil War, it is Spanish Moss just to gain a bit of perspective about how versitle this stuff is...

“I observed here a kind of Moss I had never seen before; it grows in great Quantities upon the large Trees, and hangs down 3 or 4 Yards from the Boughs; it gives a noble, ancient and hoary Look to the Woods; it is of a whitish green Colour, but when dried, is black like Horse-hair. This the Indians use for wadding their Guns, and making their Couches soft under the Skins of Beasts, which serve them for beds. They use it also for Tinder, striking Fire by flashing the Pans of their Guns into a handful of it, and for all other Uses where old Linnen would be necessary.”

Moore, Francis. A Voyage to Georgia, Begun in the Year 1735. London: Jacob Robinson, 1744

[Mrs Paul L Muller]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Had a young Civil War re-enactor give me a handful of S.M. that his aunt sent him. (Thanks Phillip) I put it in a pot of simmering water.

Even with a lid on it, it creates a nasty fume that makes you cough. If I continue with trying to rett by simmering, it will take place outdoors over the fire.

Quick check on the progress of the rest of the moss. The moss contained in water is still fermenting, but still very green. The moss in the compost pile with the moss filled on top is doing well at the top of the pile where the condensation has blackened and retted the moss nicely. The damp moss in the black garbage bags is retting the best overall.

I will give it another week, but I'm guessing that I'll be bagging up all the moss to quickly rett it.

[Mike Ventura]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Cyndi --

No disrespect to you, but you are going to find this a daunting task! I wish you well and success, but the amount of work and moss necessary to make just one saddle pad is huge, as you will most likely discover on your own. It will be difficult as you do not live "local" to your supply. Most people give up when they see the metrics on attempting anything like a limited production run of just 10 or 15. Again, I admire your enthusiasm and wish you well.

[Mrs Paul L Muller]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Mike,
I suppose this might be a daunting task for someone that does not have the equipment necessary to complete this or if I was a spinner that always bought prepared roving to spin.

As it is, I have taken freshly shorn wool, separated it by length, color & hand (feel), opened up the individual locks, scoured it a few times to remove the dirt, let it dry, carded it, pulled into roving and dyed the wool before even starting to spin many, many times in the past 10+ years. Each one of these steps could take 8-12+ hours and every step is dirty work.

Compared to that, composting Spanish moss where I can simply turn it once or twice a week then letting it dry in the sun and carding it to remove the outer cortex is a piece of cake and seems to be a lot less work than wool prep I'm accustomed to doing.

From there, spinning & weaving Spanish Moss is no different than spinning & weaving wool or other bast fibers.

the process of retting Spanish Moss to make a product that is weavable is much, much more difficult than any kind of weaving with any other material.

I question your authority to make the preceding statement Mike. When was the last time you processed Spanish moss (or any other type of fiber) from its raw state to a yarn so that is ready to be woven? How do you know that Spanish moss is "much more difficult"? Your negativity is excusable only by your lack of knowledge of the process of taking any bast (plant) or protein (animal) fiber from the raw to finished state. There are plenty of other bast fibers (flax & cotton) that are far more difficult to process than the moss.

I probably have enough Spanish Moss. to make at least one saddle pad, or perhaps even a saddle blanket. I'm not doing this to go into production, rather to experiment with various ways to compost & prep the moss before spinning. There are many fiber artists on various fiber boards cheering me on and waiting with anticipation of which method of prepping the moss works the best so that they can take up prepping, spinning & weaving Spanish Moss.

If the international spinning magazine (Spin-Off!) accepts my work for an article then I anticipate many more fiber artists to take this up. Even if they only make one or two pads/blankets, that is one or two more available.

[Ken Knopp]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Folks,

In my opinion we have beat this dead horse long enough. We have established the fact here that the task is onerous, the labor intensive and success far from assured. Clearly, this is not for the weak of heart. However, its obvious Cyndi knows the task before her, understands the processes and has experience. Moreover, she obviously has the "heart". So by all means....give it a spin (pun intended).
Gents, enough said. Lets get out of the gal's way!

Cyndi, One thing you might consider looking into, I am not sure how you would go about this but, perhaps you can try to find "already ginned" Sp Moss. Given your climate, it will save alot of labor and time. This is what Dawn did as I noted in a previous post. So, perhaps there is more out there.

Alright, Go get em gal! Keep us posted.

Ken R Knopp

[Mrs Paul L Muller]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Just an update.

Half of the moss is drying out in the sun. I've set aside this weekend to start ginning/carding it. Spinning it should begin next week.

[Mark Choate]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Good morning, Cyndi,

Did a certain saddle making gentleman from the State of Michigan contact you about getting you a huge source of already retted moss?

Mark

[Mrs Paul L Muller]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Wow!! No he didn't!!! Totally interested in it though.


eta: Unless Paul spoke with him and they got to talking saddles instead of retted moss .... known to happen! :)

[Mrs Paul L Muller]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

First two skeins off the bobbins this morning.

I need a heavier duty spring for my bobbin take up. I had to hand wind the yarn onto the bobbin.

Ta-Da!

[Mark Choate]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

That is bee-you-tee-ful, Cyndi!

I just happened to be looking at the forum when your message popped up and while I do not have an answer for you for the spring for your bobbin, I do recognize the product as what we're after. Maybe someone with more industrial understanding can help with the spring.

Great job and inspirational tenacity.

Mark

[Mrs Paul L Muller]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

No worries with the spring ... just went to my local small hardware store, showed them what I had and told them what I needed. They got me all set up with what I need.

I'm currently 'ginning' more moss. Could have another couple of bobbins by this evening. .... unless Paul wants me to fix him some supper!

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Tell him that the fate of the spanish moss blanket world is more important! :)

[Paul L Muller]

Re: Civilian Saddle Blanket

Come on guys, I just spent the last 8.5 hrs mudding dry wall...I need food! plm