You may not have noticed, but Chogan uses cord (rope or string) for one project after another. He makes his snares with heavy cord, and Whitefoot’s leash is made of cord. Chogan even uses cord to bind the splint to Kanti’s broken leg. Oops! I wasn’t supposed to mention that. Kanti doesn’t break her leg until later in the novel. Anyway, it is time you learned how he makes cord from milkweed. (Just in case you get lost in the woods or break your leg.) Mother or Kanti probably made Chogan’s cord since this was considered women’s work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gathering Milkweed Fiber

 

 

 

 

     The best time to harvest milkweed (Asclepias syriacea) fiber is fall when the stalks turn brown and the seed pods open to release their silk-covered seeds to the wind. The milkweed grows throughout most of North America. Look for the plants in cow pastures, open meadows, and roadsides where there is plenty of sunlight. The portion of the stem we wish to harvest is the phloem found beneath the thin outer skin. The phloem consists of small tubes that carry sap and other nutrients up the stem. It is strong and flexible—just what we need.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     The outer layer must be removed to prepare the stem. I use a box cutter to scrape away this layer. Kanti or Mother would have used the edge of a fresh-water clam shell or a sharpened bone. If the stalk is dry, the outer layer will easily flake off. Be sure the fiber beneath the outer layer is not damaged.

 

 

 

 

 

      Next the dry stem is split into two or more sections. Many times the stem can be cracked by squeezing the end between the thumb and index finger. If this does not work, a rap with a rubber mallet will do the trick. Once the end begins to separate, the rest of the stalk can be split by running the thumb down the crack in the stem. The picture at the left shows one half of a milkweed stem, pithy side up.

 

 

    After the stem is split into sections, hold one of the sections in left hand with the pithy side up. Then grab the stalk one inch from the end with the right hand and bend downward. If the stalk is dry, as it should be, the woody layer (xylem) will crack. A series of parallel threads will keep the short, broken piece attached to the main stem. These threads are the fiber we will later twist into string or rope.

 

 

 

 

 

     The woody fragment is separated from the fiber by gently pulling the woody portion away from the fiber. The separation should begin at the broken end and gradually extent toward the tip until the woody section is totally separated from the fiber.

 

 

 

 

 

      Once the small woody segment has been removed, gently pull down on the fiber strands as shown in the picture at the left. The fiber should separate from the milkweed stalk. When a half inch of fiber has separated from the stalk, stop. Now break off another inch of woody section as shown in the second picture above. The broken piece should be attached by a half inch of remaining fiber. Pull back on the broken end until it separates from the fiber. Repeat the above steps until the entire fibrous section has been removed from the stem. Do not pull down on the fiber thinking it can be removed in one motion. The fibrous section will separate from the stalk before the end is reached.

 

Making cord

 

      Before the fiber can be used, the loose strands must be rolled into yarn. Kanti would have run the fiber across her tongue to moisten it. (You can use tap water.) Then she would spin the fiber on her thigh by pushing away with her hand. Notice the fiber to the right of the hand has already been spun into yarn, but the fiber to the left of the hand is disorganized and points in all directions. You may find it easier to spin the fiber if your hand and pant leg are moist.

 

 

 

     To form cord or rope, two strands of fiber yarn are tied at one end and draped across the thigh near the hip. The left thumb or index finger should keep the strands separated. Now roll the strands down the thigh with the right hand. Make sure both strands spin equally.

 

 

 

 

 

      When the right hand reaches the knee, release the end held by the left hand while maintaining downward pressure with the right hand. The two strands should curl into two-ply cord. Now move the left thumb or index finger to the front of the cord to again keep the two strands separate. Repeat the previous steps until you come to the end of one of the strands.

 

 

 

      For longer cord, additional yarn can be spliced into the cord. Feather out the fibers of the old and new yarn and let them overlap by two inches, as seen in the picture to the left. The combined fibers are then spun across the thigh to form a good juncture. Never splice two stands at the same spot.

 

 

 

 

 

      At the left is the finished rope made from the stalks of two milkweed plants. It can easily lift twenty pounds, more weight than any rabbit Chogan would catch in a snare. If need be, Chogan could make even stronger rope by increasing the strands in the yarn. Fiber from milkweed, dogbane, and nettle was also used to make fishing line and nets. Fish were an important source of protein for Indians in the Great Lakes area, and quality nets and fishing line were a must. Many early white settlers rated Indian nets and cordage superior to anything Europeans had to offer. Enough about making cord. That’s work. It’s time to get back to the novel and learn the fate of the wolf pup Chogan and Kanti discovered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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