Has anybody ever tried making towels out of hemp?  It's supposed to be strong and absorbant, and seems to be reasonbaly priced.

 

Comments

Mon, 12/11/2017 - 18:55

Lainey

i have used a 10/2 hemp for towels, scarves, table runners and napkins.  It has a very stiff hand, even after several washings. (reminds me more of linen than cotton)  I really like my huck lace table runners and the napkins (the hemp holds a really nice crease that look neat and tidy) It also held the pattern definition nicely.  the hand towels are ok, a little stiff (can not line dry them, they would stand up by themselves!) and they really need a pressing to look their best. Hemp takes dye very easily.  In my scarves I mixed in bamboo to soften them up.  I never had any issues with breakage.  I think there was a fiber lab in handwoven magazine a while ago using hemp. (but my memory is often wrong..)

I don't think I would make hemp towels again, but might consider blending with cotton or cottolin.. I feel it is better suited for something you want a little stiffer.  

I bought my hemp as a mill end (rediculouly cheap and comically large cone!) so perhaps different manufactures have softer hand. Good luck.  

 

Tue, 12/12/2017 - 14:09

sandra.eberhar…

Interesting.  My husband has several hemp t-shirts, which are very limp.

Thu, 12/14/2017 - 04:34

Sara von Tresckow

First, hemp IS more like linen than cotton.

There are many kinds of yarn - the Chinese types are stiffer than the Romanian. Mill ends cannot be identified - it was sold as hemp, but you don't know if any finishes or processes were used on it.

My experience with the Romanian hemp is, like the previous poster - similar to linen, but a bit limper, though still smooth and not t-shirt soft like cotton.

Thu, 12/14/2017 - 15:41

ReedGuy

There is an interesting hemp history in the midwest, where it was planted during war time. The stuff grows like wild weeds now, and federal US laws prohibit the stuff. Be careful what you plant, it may haunt you later. :D

Fri, 12/15/2017 - 16:35

alene

Some people are allergic to hemp, some severely. I am allergic to hemp/cannabis in all forms. I react to cannibis/marijuana smoke with severe asthma symptoms to the point I can not breathe. Not convenient when you live in the San Francisco Bay area. I need to make sure I never go to some places or events by myself. :( Contact causes hives or a rash, less bothersome.

Fri, 12/15/2017 - 17:35

sandra.eberhar…

Are you alergic to the fiber itself or the resin?  The resin is the drug, but Cannabis grown for fiber has little to no resin.