# Spinning Hemp



## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

I had posted a pic of some hemp that I spun a week ago. Well, I had 3 (8oz) bags of this stuff that was hiding deeeeep in my stash. Spun up one bag, stuff worked really well. That was the pic. This next bag is not as good quality and I was having a wee of a time getting it to cooperate. 
Problem is, the roving wasn't as smooth or consistent as the first one, Kept getting big chunks of uncarded fiber...grrrrr

Anyhoo, I decided to re-card some of that roving to get it to smooth out. It worked maaavalous! I think the very dry hemp picked up some lanolin left over in the cards from wool. It was just enough to tame down the fly away fiber and smooth it out.

So, I guess the moral of this story is; just because the fiber is in roving form
doesn't mean that you can't further process it to make it behave!

That's my 2 cents for the day!

Crap! I should have posted this in the TDF section


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Don't forget you can spritz it with a wee bit of water while you are spinning it.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

While spinning up the Spanish Moss, I found that adding a bit of glycerin in my spray bottle with the water helps hold the dampness without getting the fiber soggy.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I use a dollop of hair conditioner in a spray bottle of water when combing alpaca. Helps a lot!


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

Marchwind said:


> Don't forget you can spritz it with a wee bit of water while you are spinning it.


I did try this, but it kept sticking together and wouldn't draft well....probably used too much water...

I think I'll try the glycerin or hair conditioner trick next.

Surprisingly, this fiber is very floaty. It flies around in the air like alpaca.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I wonder if hemp is usually dampened during spinning, like flax. It's a similar product to flax, IIRC ..

Hmmm.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Frazzle are you meaning when spun commercially? I've never spun my hemp damp.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Yeah, commercially or historically.

There's some neat info here. Not sure of accuracy or anything, but it's interesting!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Frazzle I did a report on hemp in college. It IS very interesting and the industry was HUGE, especially in Minnesota and Canada. I sure wish politics would get out of the way and allow industrial hemp to be once again produced.


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## crazyknitter44 (Aug 13, 2012)

Marchwind said:


> Frazzle I did a report on hemp in college. It IS very interesting and the industry was HUGE, especially in Minnesota and Canada. I sure wish politics would get out of the way and allow industrial hemp to be once again produced.


Amen! :soap:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Yes, carzyknitter44? What is your soapbox about?


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## crazyknitter44 (Aug 13, 2012)

Marchwind said:


> Yes, carzyknitter44? What is your soapbox about?


Exactly what you posted. I would love to be able to have access to hemp for the purpose of fiber, but as you said it, the political (crap) is blocking our path. I would love to work with it in greater variety, but the cost of it is beyond my budget - but not my capacity to do the labor of growing it to use myself. (No, I have no desire to use it for the 'recreational' purpose). I would love to spin, knit, weave and sew with it - anything to do with textiles is my passion.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Yep! It amazes me that people think that Hemp and Marijuana are one in the same plant. They are NOT! But as someone at the fiber fest said today, the cotton industry loves the fact the government is standing in out way. I'm more than sure the cotton lobbyists are right in the fray of things.


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