Rope Making and Blackberry Bark Harvesting (by Kate and Tammy)

Today was such an interesting day!  We began by learning about the mathematics, art, and history of rope making - “s twist” and “z twist” ropes, made by twisting a natural fibre, and then twisting it in opposition to itself. It absolutely blew us away to learn that humans have been making rope for more than 40,000 years! Rope making is known as one of the oldest technologies - one which is still in use in countless ways today (even technology within an iPad relies on the rope structure).

It is remarkably easy to learn the art of basic rope-making, which led us to imagine its use in elementary classrooms, as an art form, as a discussion about social studies, and even as a substitute to the “fidget-spinner” (minus the plastic and noise)! 

Using natural fibres to weave was really appealing to us - and even cooler was the realisation that you can use the bark from invasive species, such as Himalayan Blackberry, to generate the weaving material.

The first step in harvesting the blackberry requires cutting a cane, and then slowly (and carefully!) removing the thorns, by gently pushing them sideways, and they pop right off. Next, once the cane is thornless, begin at the thicker end, and gently begin peeling back the bark in about 4 or 5 sections around the cane. Continue to gently pull the bark, until you have effectively peeled the entire cane.

Bundle the bark together, and then let it air dry in the sun, to remove the moisture, and let it dry out.

When you are ready to weave the bark, re-hydrate and soften it, by soaking the dried out bark in water for about 20 minutes, to make it pliable again.

Once you are shown how to weave a rope, it is a very fun, calming activity that you can easily do with your hands, while listening to others and talking… a perfect choice for a child (or adult) who likes to keep their hands busy but still be able to focus on what’s going on around them.

We had great success with this technique, and everyone was so proud of the ropes they

made. We hope to integrate these into an Indigenous art that will be taught at the

upcoming Saturday Workshop on June 25th!! 

With that teaser - we are looking forward to having you join us in the Orchard Garden on

the morning of Saturday, June 25th… see you soon!