Mastodawn

Paul Fenwick Aug 20, 2025

The weather is getting nice, and my family has started to complain about the smell, which means it's time to take my retting yucca leaves and hang them up on the line.

I'm trying a less-effort run with these. I've scraped a few bundles to remove the retted matter, but the rest I've hung as-is. I'm cautiously optimistic that they'll just brush out when they're dry.

You can see what the process looks like in full in this thread: https://cloudisland.nz/@pjf/113625891996716616

#fibre #FibreArts #NeolithicTech #retting #foraging #ForagingAustralia #UrbanForaging

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Paul Fenwick Aug 22, 2025

The yucca is mostly dry, and the next steps are scutching (removing the coarse material from the fibres) and heckling (brushing the fibres to remove fine material and straighten them).

I do most of these steps on the line or at the work-stump, but I'm willing to change up locations when my assistant wants to help.

🧵

#fibre #NeolithicTech #catsOfMastodon

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Paul Fenwick

Here's all the dried, retted #yucca bundled up on the left. On the right is the finished product from my last batch. Beautiful, strong, cream coloured fibres.

To get there now just requires a lot of manual working of the bundle, followed by lots of and lots brushing.

This isn't particularly hard, but it is time consuming, so it's best done with company, and definitely done outside (it produces lots of chaff).

If you've got a crafts fair, ren faire, or other outdoors event in #Narrm #Melbourne that's broadly aligned with my values and would benefit from a fibre processing demonstration, hit me up.

Otherwise I'll likely be cleaning and dressing these fibres the next time I'm camping or at a picnic with friends. ❤️

#fibre #fibreArt #NeolithicTech #solarpunk #foragingAustralia #urbanForaging