Work - Part II: Fibers

On the rare occasions when I search for shells alone, I like to inspect my haul as soon as I get home. Diving doesn’t allow for the same care and deliberation as combing the shore, and often this is the first time I’ve really looked closely at my loot. If, like yesterday, I’ve been accompanied by three small wild things, I put the shells aside and work in the backyard. More often than not, this means extracting plant fibers to make into cord.

I’ve been using bittersweet vines, lately. I uncovered the incredible durability of bittersweet fibers earlier in the summer, while trying (and mostly failing) to weave baskets. I’ve found other plants that work well for cord, but bittersweet is readily available and kind of problematic in these parts, so there’s no worry of taking more than the local environment can sustain. Photographing the vine before I started working proved unexpectedly difficult.

One of my five year olds graciously agreed to photograph me prepping the vine. The other insisted on being included in the picture.

I like to use a chisel to free the ends of the bark. After that, it just peels away.

I find this process extremely satisfying. The next step, removing the bark from the fibers, is a little more painstaking. I’ve been working on that today. This is the what it looked like by dinner, yesterday.