A lot of people have heard that cotton is a very hard fiber to spin. But that is not as true as you would think. Back when that saying was getting started people did not have a very good quality of cotton available, or the right tools for spinning it. But with the beautiful cotton and good tools available to hand spinners today it can be a interesting plant fiber to try.
The cotton fibers are soft but they are also very fine, similar to musk ox and cashmere. Cotton is also a very strong fiber. When compared to wool that has the same diameter, cotton is three times stronger. Plus cotton has many other wonderful characteristics. It is cool to the touch, great at wicking moisture away, soft, and absorbent. It is easily cleaned and it is even stronger when it is wet. And because it is not harmed by water that is well above boiling cotton is easy to wash. It is fast at drying, and does not attract moths.
Cotton contains 95 percent cellulose, giving it a much higher level of purity then Flax, hemp, and other plant fibers. Which means even after many times of washing it you will only lose about 5 percent, mostly wax and oils that wash away over time.
No comments :
Post a Comment