Many years ago I learned the craft of making cordage from a Tribal Elder friend who was a talented weaver and artist. I turned the small strand of raffia cordage I created into a necklace and have been twisting everything I can find into cordage ever since.
There is something deeply satisfying about transforming scraps of weeds, leaves, vines, various plants, and bark into lengths of cord. The process is simple enough to learn quickly, yet complex enough that every material presents its own challenges and some fibers seem like they will work only to crumble or shred when processed. Our ancestors mastered this process and knew which plants and fibers in their environment were useful for creating cordage for a variety of uses.
Corn Husk Cordage
This weekend's experiment involved corn husks gathered from our evening BBQ and some I saved and dried last season. I had previously used the dried husks to create a length of cord and was amazed at the strength of even a thin length of cord. When we had another BBQ I decided to try working with the fresh husks I had just shucked to see if I could work with them or if they were better after drying.
I found the fresh husks very easy to work with and was able to make a strand of very fine, and very strong, cord. I found the fresh husks to be a bit too watery to work with, but the next day after leaving them out to dry they are perfect. I rolled 3-4 leaves into about four feet of cordage, then wove the finished cord into my basket project. This fresh cord dried quickly and through that process actually formed onto the basket as it dried.
Iris Cordage
Did I mention I have been rolling everything I can into cordage? Bearded Iris is a traditional plant fiber used for cordage-making and weaving. Once my flowers stopped blooming and the long, sword-like, leaves started to tip and droop, I used my sharp garden shears to cut the leaves as close to the rhizome as possible and I hand-pulled the dried leaves from the base. I laid out and sorted the leaves by freshness, color, and length, bundling them with twine and storing them for later.
The leaves that were fading, turning yellow and drying out, I tore into strips and rolled into cordage while they were still slightly pliable.
Ancient Technology
Cordage is one of humanity's oldest crafts. Cordage technology, made of seasonally harvested tree bark, has been found in the archeological record dating back roughly 50,000 years. Throughout history, cordage made from regionally available materials was used on nearly every continent to make nets, baskets, traps, slings, clothing, bindings, and shelters.
It was likely taught to children at an early age along with the knowledge of what plant fibers could be harvested for bast fiber along with how and when to process each plant. This would have been critical knowledge, passed between generations along with an understanding of when plants should be gathered, how they should be processed, and which fibers were suited to particular tasks.
Foraged Basket
My original goal for this project was not just to make cordage out of dinner scraps, but to use it in a small basket woven entirely from natural materials.
After getting sticker shock at the local thrift store when I went looking for an old basket to use for foraging and gardening, I decided to learn how to weave a basket out of foraged materials. I haven't let the fact that I have never weaved (woven? wove?) a basket before deter me, and so far I have started a basket made from stripped Blackberry vines, invasive Ivy, and now corn husk cordage. I will share more on this project as I go.
I will continue to add foraged invasive vines, cordage and various fibers to this basket until it is finished. My first attempt may not be ready for a museum, but so far I have learned a lot of ways not to weave a basket, so that's a start.
Learning traditional crafts is an opportunity to carry ancient skills forward and better understand the ingenuity of the people who came before us. They didn't have craft stores, next-day delivery, or pre-processed, color-treated materials cut to size. They worked with what was seasonally available in their environment, supplemented by materials obtained through trade. That required experimentation, careful observation, knowledge passed between generations, and a culture of maintaining and repairing useful objects rather than simply replacing them.
There are a lot of lessons hidden in that process. The repetitive rhythm of processing fibers, making cordage, and weaving leaves plenty of time for contemplation. There you are, sitting and rolling and twisting, rolling and twisting, adding another length of fiber, then twisting again, repeating motions recognizable to someone doing much the same work thousands of years ago.
Everything has changed, but nothing has changed.
I'll continue adding foraged vines, cordage, and other fibers to the basket as the seasons change, sharing what works, what doesn't, and what I learn along the way.
— Studio Henbane