Ramie keeps coming back no matter how many times it is cut.
It grows along the edges of fields, around houses, and in open spaces near the mountains. It is often treated as a troublesome weed, but ramie has long been used as a fiber plant.
▼ Wild ramie keeps growing back no matter how many times it is cut. Though often seen as a troublesome weed, it has long been used as a fiber plant.
At Hitotsuya, we are using this wild ramie to explore a new way of making yarn.
Our aim is not to reproduce traditional Jōfu exactly as it was made in the past. Instead of splitting the fibers finely and joining them one by one, as in the traditional process of “umu”, we are wondering whether ramie fibers can be spun into yarn.
In this experiment, we first harvested wild ramie. Some of the stems were peeled, and the bark was soaked in water overnight. We wanted to see how the outer skin and gummy substances would change in water, and whether the fibers would become easier to separate.
▼ Peeled ramie bark soaking in water overnight. We are testing how water changes the outer skin and gummy substances.
On another day, we also tried soaking the stems overnight without peeling them first.
We had heard that soaking the whole stems might make the bark easier to peel the next day.
▼ This is an experiment in soaking the stems without peeling them. We are checking whether the bark becomes easier to remove the next day.
Once we actually begin working with the material, we notice many things right away.
What Hitotsuya is aiming for is not to join ramie fibers one by one, but to spin them. From that point of view, fibers that are too long may not always be easier to handle. For now, we feel that fiber bundles of about 15 to 30 cm may be more suitable for spinning.
After soaking, the bark is dried and stored. If it is bundled while still half-dry, it can lead to mold or decay, so the first step is to dry it thoroughly while allowing air to pass through.
▼ Ramie bark peeled the previous day is being dried. For now, we are drying it well so it can be used in later yarn-making experiments.
Our goal is not simply to extract perfectly white, clean fibers. Even if some wild character remains, if the fibers can become yarn, then cloth, and work well with plant dyeing, they may become a material that feels truly like Hitotsuya.
Ramie is not just a troublesome weed.
The fact that it grows back again and again means that, from another point of view, it is a strong plant resource that can be gathered every year.
From wild ramie to yarn. And someday, from yarn to cloth.
A new experiment at Hitotsuya has begun.