Today I will find out how many people look for articles on hemp!  Of course, I’m not talking smoking it, medicinally or otherwise.  We use it all the time in our business: hemp webbing, tapes, muslins, and the occasional stretchy hemp fabric.

Hemp was used historically in upholstery and many other areas, and was outlawed when moneyed individuals with interests in the wood pulp industry (BIG forest owners) lobbied to get the demon weed outlawed.  Reefer madness scared the public, and before they realized what else would be given up in that sweeping legislation, gone was one of the best renewable resources we have.  Hemp grown for fibers is grown densely packed, so the stalks grow high with the “demon weed” being the smallest fluff on the top of a tall stalk.  The fiber around the stalk makes stronger paper than wood or cotton, and is excellent for weaving.

Mitchell also uses the fibers themselves, because historically they were used as upholstery stuffings; we get them from Hemp Traders.  Degummed hemp fiber, the fluffy cotton candy-like hemp below, is used almost as a very soft cotten batting.  Other short and long stuffings are used like algerian, and the longest rope-like hemp can be used in edgerolls.   The only part Mitchell has not used (so far) is the inner woody core left over when the bark is removed, above, called hurd, shives or core fiber, right.

 ©MPF Conservation.  May be printed for your own use ONLY,
not for use on blogs without permission.
Hemp plant and fiber images courtesy Wikipedia photographers.
Small fiber images courtesy of Hemp Traders.