http://www.MotherearthNews.coM 51Hang the bundles just long
enough to allow them to dry out
completely, so that they’re crispy
when you break them.Processing:
Pounding & Peeling
Next, get as many fine fibers out
of the plant as possible. After your
bundles have dried, take them
down and begin processing them.
(There are faster ways to process
nettle than the one I’m about to
describe, but those methods are
less thorough.) First, take a sin-
gle stalk and place it on a hard
surface, such as a smooth rock
or piece of board. Take a heavy
branch or smooth rock and gently
pound the full length of the stalk.
Take a little more time pounding
the stalk at each joint, as the joints
have the thickest woody sections.
After you’re done pounding,
take the stalk in your hands and run your thumbnail or a
knife as far down the inside of the stem as you can. If you do
this part correctly, you should be able to peel the stalk so it
folds open like a book.
Take the open stalk and grasp it with your hand so that 1
to 2 inches protrude beyond your palm. Next, fold that pro-truding part over and then back
again. As you do this, the woody
portion of the stalk should start to
peel away from the softer fibrous
portion. Move the stalk backward
and forward until the woody por-
tion separates from the fibers. Be
careful to pick as many of the
woody pieces as you can out of
the fibers, because this will save
you more work later.
Continue this process as far
down the stem as the plant and
your skill allows. Remember to
take special care around each joint
or node, as this is where you’re
most likely to lose significant
amounts of fiber.Processing:
Buff Until Fluffy
Buffing is the process of further
refining the material so you can
remove more of the woody, splin-
ter-like bits. If the material is dry, you can often buff by rub-
bing the strands of fiber vigorously between your hands. With
some persistent buffing, the fibers should start to separate and
appear fluffier. They’ll still look smooth and waxy at this stage.
With continued buffing, the fibers will look less and less
waxy and more and more fluffy. They’ll even get paler in colorPound the stalks of your chosen plant (left) and peel away the fibers inside (middle). After you’ve extracted as many of its fine fibers as you can,
further refine the material by rubbing it between your hands (right) until the fibers start to separate.The fibers inside the stalks of stinging nettle are well-
suited to the formation of cordage.Uk;
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