Nov 23 2006
Natural Fibers and The Home & unbleached wool
In any civilization, whether ancient or modern, one thing that we will find is fiber or cloth. Fiber is as old as human civilization. Traces of natural fibers have been found in ancient civilizations all over the globe.
Fiber can be broken down into natural fibers and man-made/chemical fibers. Listed below are some of the natural fibers.
Cotton is a natural fiber that is derived from the cotton plant. Cotton breathes and absorbs moisture, keeping body temperature even which is why it feels comfortable next to the skin unlike synthetic materials which can feel unpleasant. Most cotton is chemically bleached, chemically dyed and fixed. Due to the pest infestation of the cotton plant, cotton growers use pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers to kill them. Unfortunately, the residue may remain in the fabric.
Linen comes from the flax plant. It is similiar to cotton in that it is very absorbent, extremely strong and it is also cool. Choose natural, pale, or unbleached linen. If you wish, you can bleach it in sunlight and dye it with vegetable dyes. Pesticide use is common but no where near the same as in cotton growing. Not only is linen chemically bleached and chemical dyes used but other additives such as flame-retardamts are used.
Reeds and Rattan - this fiber comes from grasses and woody plants. They are a natural and renewable source. These fibres can be woven into matting, baskets and chair seats. The problem with both reeds and rattan (which comes from the southeast Asian rattan palm) is over-harvesting and habitat destruction, so care should be taken to source products and materials from sustainably managed plantations.
Seagrass - these plants must photo-synthesize so they are limited to growing submerged in shallow and sheltered coastal waters anchored in sand or mud bottoms. Seagrass is tough, cheap and anti-static, naturally water-resistant and it doesn't stain. Underfoot, it is very smooth and comfortable.
Silk is a natural protein fibre that can be woven into textiles. It is obtained from the cocoon of silkworm larvae reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmering appearance for which silk is prized comes from the fibres' triangular prism-like structure which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles However, silk is often treated with mothproofing chemicals.
Sisal is made from the plant Agave Sisalana which is a perennial that grows in hot, humid climates such as Brazil, Mexico, Haiti, Costa Rica and the Philippines. By the time the leaves of the plant are 4 feet long, they are ready to be used. Fibers from this plant are coarse and hard and are frequently used to make twine, rope, mats and floor coverings. One of the most popular of the natural fiber floor coverings, sisal is hardwearing enough for areas of heavy traffic but not as rough to walk on as coir. It can be dyed and is available in a range of patterns but it is not water or stain resistant. Sometimes sisal is called sisal hemp, but it is not really the same as hemp.
Unbleached Wool is the fibre derived from the fur of animals such as goats, alpacas, as well as sheep. Felt is made from natted wool fibres. Sheepskin fleeces allow air to circulate round the body and so make excellent underblankets, particulary for babies, children or the bedridden. Unbleached, absorbent, wool is warm and more flame-resistant than cotton or linen, wool is manufactured with little use of chemicals, but it is often treated with a pesticide for moth-proofinig. When shopping for wool, look for untreated wool, unbleached wool or wool dyed with vegetable dyes.
Coir comes from the coconut husk. Coir fibers are found between the husk and the outer shell of a coconut. They are pale when immature but later become hardened and yellowed. There are two varieties of coir. Brown coir is harvested from fully ripened coconuts. It is thick, strong and has high abrasion resistance. It is typically used in mats, bushes and sacking. Mature brown coir fibres contain more lignin and less cellulose than fibres such as flax and cotton and so are stronger but less flexible. White coir fibers are harvested from the coconuts before they are ripe. These fibers are white or light brown in color and are smoother and finer, but also weaker. They are generally spun to make yarn that is used in mats or rope. The coir fibre is relatively water-proof and is one of the few natural fibres resistant to damage by salt water. Fresh water is used to process brown coir, while sea water and fresh water are both used in the production of white coir
CoirJute - comes from the subtropical plant native to India and has long been used in rope-making, for making coarse cloth such as hessian and for bbacking carpet and linoleum. More recently, it has been employed to make floor coverings. Jute weaves are soft and much less durable than sial or coir. Because demand for jute exceeds supply, similar fibres such as ramie are often used as a substitute, particularly for making coarse cloth as hessian. Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, family Malvaceae.
Jute is one of the cheapest natural fibers, and is second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses. Jute fibres are composed primarily of the plant materials, cellulose (major component of plant fibre) and lignin (major components wood fibre). It is thus a ligno-cellulosic fibre that is partially a textile fibre and partially wood. It falls into the bast fibre category (fibre collected from bast or skin of the plant) along with Kenaf, Industrial Hemp, Flax (Linen), Ramie, etc. The industrial term for Jute fibre is Raw Jute.
Jute plants (Corchorus olitorius and Corchorus capsularis)Jute fibre is often called hessian, jute fabrics are also called hessian cloth, and jute sacks are called gunny bags in some European countries. The fabric made from jute is popularly known as burlap in North America.
Hemp is a rather coarse fibre that is derived from the cannabis plant and is used to make matting and cloth as well as rope. Because the growing of cannabis is strictly controlled, the full exploitation of this fibre has been held back. HEMP is currently being used by designers in clothing. When thinking of hemp, the illegal plant, marijuana comes to mind. No, hemp fabric does not contain the narcotic chemical that, when smoked produces the "high" that smoking marijuana produces. Marijuana is from the dried flowers and leaves of the Cannabis Sativa plant. Hemp fabric is made from the stems of the plant. The stems are processed to dissolve the gum or pectin and separate the fibers which are then processed again and woven into yarns and fabric. The finest hemp for fabric is produced in Italy. Hemp fabric is like linen in both hand and appearance. Hemp fabric withstands water better than any other textile product. It wrinkles easily and should not be creased excessively to avoid wear and breakage of the fibers.
RayonAlthough rayon is a synthetic fibre, it is made from cellulose rather then petrochemicals. It is commonly used in blends with natural fibres.
CoirRAMIE is also similar to linen and is a bast of plant fiber. It is natural white in color, has a high luster and an unusual resistance to bacteria and molds. Used in fabrics, and often mistaken for linen, it is extremely absorbent and dries quickly. Ramie has excellent abrasion resistance and has been tested to be three to five times stronger than cotton and twice as strong as flax. It is an inexpensive fiber from an East Asian plant and can be spun or woven into a fabric.Ramie is one of the oldest fibre crops, having been used for at least six thousand years, and is principally used for fabric production. It is a bast fibre, and the part used is the bark (phloem) of the vegetative stalks. Ramie is normally harvested two to three times a year but under good growing conditions can be harvested up to six times per year(2). Unlike other bast crops, ramie requires chemical processing to de-gum the fibre.