Thank You!!! You taught me something, actually two things, one, using horseradish for cordage, and two, your splicing method. Brilliant! I've taught making cordage from natural materials for some years now, thanks to you I will be teaching a better way.
I too like the way you've shown to splice in new fiber, it makes sense that it'll be much stronger than the "traditional" method shown in the other videos. I do however, prefer to twist to form the loop at the beginning. Makes it nice and tight at the end. Thank you for the videos and look forward to the new ones. I like to see the how the cordage, twine, and yarns made from these fibers are put to use in real projects.
I think that was an excellent "first ever" video and great to know about making string from horseradish. I particularly liked the joining in method, definitely an improvement on what is customarily (in my experience) taught. Snipping off the little sticky out bits is really tedious and rather a waste of time. Thanks, I look forward to the next videos.
Great video! I'm going to try your splicing technique. I've never seen that before. Never knew horseradish had inner fibers like that. They look similar to the ones in burdock but easier to remove. The ones in burdock are very strong though. The horseradish fibers are fine and uniform like burdock and yucca so you can make thin string for fishing line or thread.
@@abittwisted Open them up and dig out the white strings. Bigger stalks have bigger fibers. Hard to collect enough to make cordage. Burdock root is edible as well.
1:20 Horseradish leaves go very well with rice, in my opinion. They need their taste mellowed out a bit first, by getting them to sit in hot boiling water for 2-3 minutes (not on the fire, just in a pot somewhere), then discarding the water. It takes most of the bitterness out, but leaves the taste in.
I would of never thought to look at my lovely horseradish for cordage fibers but this is simply a game changer! Thank you very kindly for this revelation!
@@SallyPointer Funny thing is that I love horseradish but can't possibly use all the horseradish I have growing out my kitchen window. Now as fiber though, I think I have to plant more!
Fantastic! A very clear instructional video and like many of the other commenters I had no idea that horseradish contains fibre strong enough to make cordage! 👏
Lovely, thank you. I didn’t know you could use horseradish! Why reverse for lefties! ? You make a Z twist cord, which means the slope of the twist would fit to a z shape. If a left handed person wants to twist away and cross over to the front, I presume they would produce an S twist, which slopes the other way. But helpfully, your method allows two differently handed people to take over the work from one another!
Are you picking the horseradish leaves in late spring? When would be too late, Sally? I look at plants in a totally different way since finding your excellent videos. Having now made nettle cordage, I realise that Neolithic man and later people could have learnt to make these cords from various plants growing anywhere, from about 5 or 6 years old, and been able to twist some for all sorts of tasks. Just as some people can sit and watch tv in modern times, they’d have been able to sit, or walk, while also doing other things, such as watching pots, chatting, waiting between tasks, watching small children, etc etc, because once the fibres are exposed, it’s extremely easy to twist and form cordage from them. I made 76 inches in just over 30 minutes, while reading a book, using nettle fibres. It must have been something everybody could do, both during the growing season, and in winter, from stripped and stored fibres.
@@zoeprimrose2309 From the videos I have watched you can extract fibers from rhubarb. Im not sure if they are nearly as strong as nettle, flax or bramble and yucca.
Just about any natural fiber will work if it passes a few simple tests: doesn't turn completely brittle and crumbling apart when dry, can be wrapped snugly around a finger without splintering, and can be pulled along it's length with a sufficient breakage strength for the intended task. (So saying to look for this plant or that plant isn't as important as it seems at first, however identifying the more suitable ones can make things easier.)
Thank you! Very interesting! Living in the desert southwest, I don’t have the same types of plants to explore, but if I ever have an opportunity to collect some horseradish leaves, I will give them a try! I have found that I have to moisten, soak my fingers enough, but not dripping wet, to get enough traction to twist the fibers. I have wondered if those little rubbery finger cots would be useful, but they might interfere with pulling our or picking up more fibers to add to the twisting. Do you have any suggestions?
Depends how you want to use it. If the fibre is dry and just barely dampened before you make the cord, you should have a stable string that needs no adjustments before use, but it's sometimes helpful to use a damp cloth before working if you are going to do something complex like macrame with it.
There is no need to, just as when you cut commercial string you don't need to tie off the cut end, if you have made yours with a balanced twist it won't unravel more than a twist or so, you can cut it exactly the same way.
I like how thin those strings are when you first strip away they meat of the stem! I was wondering if you can do this with green tree branch fiber beneath the bark also?
I am finding my horseradish to be brittle and breaks easily when trying to remove the green. Does the time of year make a difference to the ease or difficulty in separating?
It's quite late in the year now for any fibre material, in the UK at least. I generally find most of my fibre sources are best between midsummer and the autumn equinox, once the frosts start the plant is thinking of dying back and the strength isn't in the arial parts any more. You may get sheltered areas still, but I'd say round here at least the season finished for fibre about three weeks ago
Sally Pointer thanks. We hadn't had a frost yet, the plants were still very green but I suspected, might be older and tougher than it should be. Thanks for replying.
THis is, by far, the best video I have seen ont he subject
You do a fabulous job, simple and your camera is perfectly placed. Thankyou
Love all your projects and addictions!😊❤
Thank You!!! You taught me something, actually two things, one, using horseradish for cordage, and two, your splicing method. Brilliant! I've taught making cordage from natural materials for some years now, thanks to you I will be teaching a better way.
You are very welcome, it's a great method to teach and makes really reliable cordage
What??? I guess I better plant some horseradish. Very easy to follow instructions. Very informative and to the point.
I too like the way you've shown to splice in new fiber, it makes sense that it'll be much stronger than the "traditional" method shown in the other videos. I do however, prefer to twist to form the loop at the beginning. Makes it nice and tight at the end. Thank you for the videos and look forward to the new ones. I like to see the how the cordage, twine, and yarns made from these fibers are put to use in real projects.
I think that was an excellent "first ever" video and great to know about making string from horseradish. I particularly liked the joining in method, definitely an improvement on what is customarily (in my experience) taught. Snipping off the little sticky out bits is really tedious and rather a waste of time. Thanks, I look forward to the next videos.
ok, this is now my go-to channel for a mad max event
Thank you for that Sally, like just about everybody else who's commented every day is a school day...Horseradish, who knew? (well you obviously :) ).
I am so excited to try this with the horseradish in my garden! How wonderful to have another use for it!
Great video! I'm going to try your splicing technique. I've never seen that before.
Never knew horseradish had inner fibers like that. They look similar to the ones in burdock but easier to remove. The ones in burdock are very strong though. The horseradish fibers are fine and uniform like burdock and yucca so you can make thin string for fishing line or thread.
Burdock has fiber in the leaf stems? I have that growing on my property right now. Lots of that around here.
@@abittwisted Open them up and dig out the white strings. Bigger stalks have bigger fibers. Hard to collect enough to make cordage. Burdock root is edible as well.
1:20 Horseradish leaves go very well with rice, in my opinion. They need their taste mellowed out a bit first, by getting them to sit in hot boiling water for 2-3 minutes (not on the fire, just in a pot somewhere), then discarding the water. It takes most of the bitterness out, but leaves the taste in.
I would of never thought to look at my lovely horseradish for cordage fibers but this is simply a game changer! Thank you very kindly for this revelation!
You are most welcome! There are useful materials in the strangest places sometimes!
@@SallyPointer Funny thing is that I love horseradish but can't possibly use all the horseradish I have growing out my kitchen window. Now as fiber though, I think I have to plant more!
The young leaves are nice cooked as kale too, and a lot of our local horseradish flowered this year and I had it on salads. Useful plant all round!
That material would make an excellent bowstring!!!
Sending love from Australia 🙏💕
I've made hairy cordage for ages - thank you for the great tip about laying new fibres across the two strands!
Fantastic! A very clear instructional video and like many of the other commenters I had no idea that horseradish contains fibre strong enough to make cordage! 👏
Great way of adding more fibers. We don't have horseradish where I am but I have just learnt something else that will be really useful. Thank you.
Lovely, thank you. I didn’t know you could use horseradish!
Why reverse for lefties! ? You make a Z twist cord, which means the slope of the twist would fit to a z shape. If a left handed person wants to twist away and cross over to the front, I presume they would produce an S twist, which slopes the other way.
But helpfully, your method allows two differently handed people to take over the work from one another!
Exactly!
And here I had a healthy patch in my yard that I dug up when I could have been making cordage. Sigh. Now I have a good use for it.
A wonderful and informative video and easy to see and follow. Thank you.
I have so much horseradish and now I know what to do with it! Thank you!
All parts of the plant have their use!
Well done, short simple easy to understand.
Are you picking the horseradish leaves in late spring? When would be too late, Sally? I look at plants in a totally different way since finding your excellent videos. Having now made nettle cordage, I realise that Neolithic man and later people could have learnt to make these cords from various plants growing anywhere, from about 5 or 6 years old, and been able to twist some for all sorts of tasks. Just as some people can sit and watch tv in modern times, they’d have been able to sit, or walk, while also doing other things, such as watching pots, chatting, waiting between tasks, watching small children, etc etc, because once the fibres are exposed, it’s extremely easy to twist and form cordage from them. I made 76 inches in just over 30 minutes, while reading a book, using nettle fibres. It must have been something everybody could do, both during the growing season, and in winter, from stripped and stored fibres.
You want full growth but not gone too woody
This was very interesting and so educational. Thank you for sharing 👍✌️🙏❤️
Nice knife!
I’ve done his with Yucca, Flax, Palm Leaf and wild Lilly.
You did a real good job on your video. 👍🏻
@@onegreenev As I was watching, with delight and amazement I might add, I wondered if this might be done with rhubarb? What do you think?
@@zoeprimrose2309 From the videos I have watched you can extract fibers from rhubarb. Im not sure if they are nearly as strong as nettle, flax or bramble and yucca.
Just about any natural fiber will work if it passes a few simple tests: doesn't turn completely brittle and crumbling apart when dry, can be wrapped snugly around a finger without splintering, and can be pulled along it's length with a sufficient breakage strength for the intended task. (So saying to look for this plant or that plant isn't as important as it seems at first, however identifying the more suitable ones can make things easier.)
Thank you! Very interesting! Living in the desert southwest, I don’t have the same types of plants to explore, but if I ever have an opportunity to collect some horseradish leaves, I will give them a try!
I have found that I have to moisten, soak my fingers enough, but not dripping wet, to get enough traction to twist the fibers. I have wondered if those little rubbery finger cots would be useful, but they might interfere with pulling our or picking up more fibers to add to the twisting. Do you have any suggestions?
I find a slight dampness helps, but barely moist really
@@SallyPointer Yes, I have to dampen my fingers to the point that my skin absorbs some moisture, but not wet.
Beautiful! After it's finished, are we supposed to wet it before we can use it, so that it doesn't crack?
Depends how you want to use it. If the fibre is dry and just barely dampened before you make the cord, you should have a stable string that needs no adjustments before use, but it's sometimes helpful to use a damp cloth before working if you are going to do something complex like macrame with it.
I liked it just fine, thank you. Do you have cattails there and if so how is it processed? Do you use the long leaves or the center stalk?
Thank you Sally. Wonderful work. I thought the horseradish is edible plant that anyone can eat.
Do you think you could use late asparagus? I let mine go to fern and seed after the early spring harvest
I do t know. Try it and report back please!
Very instructional video - thank you. Question: How do you tie up the end of a string once you got the length needed?
There is no need to, just as when you cut commercial string you don't need to tie off the cut end, if you have made yours with a balanced twist it won't unravel more than a twist or so, you can cut it exactly the same way.
@@SallyPointer Ah ok - thanks
I'm wondering if horseradish could be spun, like flax?
It's a bit coarser, so you'd only get fairly robust yarn as a result. Try it and see!
I like how thin those strings are when you first strip away they meat of the stem! I was wondering if you can do this with green tree branch fiber beneath the bark also?
Have a look at my lime bast video for an example of how tree fibres compare
I imagine tying up a piece of beef and cooking it may impart a bit of exact taste using horseradish but as I am Veggie I am not going d to try it our.
Not a bad idea!
I am finding my horseradish to be brittle and breaks easily when trying to remove the green. Does the time of year make a difference to the ease or difficulty in separating?
It's quite late in the year now for any fibre material, in the UK at least. I generally find most of my fibre sources are best between midsummer and the autumn equinox, once the frosts start the plant is thinking of dying back and the strength isn't in the arial parts any more. You may get sheltered areas still, but I'd say round here at least the season finished for fibre about three weeks ago
Sally Pointer thanks. We hadn't had a frost yet, the plants were still very green but I suspected, might be older and tougher than it should be. Thanks for replying.
@@SallyPointer very helpful! Thanks Sally!