Spinning seems by definition to require elaborate devices, such as spinning wheels, or at least the distaff and spindle. Yet there is an effective way to spin yarn that requires no equipment whatsoever: thigh-spinning. In this ancient technique, two strands of wool fiber are simultaneously spun between the hand and the leg in a single sliding motion from mid-thigh to knee. Then, as the hand glides back to its starting position, these two plies are twisted together into a thick, tight yarn.
Chilkat spinning, as described in this article, was practiced in the 1800s by the Chilkats, a band of Tlingit people living in the Pacific Northwest. The magnificent creations they wove are known as Chilkat dancing blankets and are valuable ceremonial robes, worn only by high-ranking members of the tribes that dwell on the coast from Alaska to British Columbia.
In the traditional Chilkat process of thigh-spinning, two strands of mountain- goat wool are spun along with twisted strips of the inner bark of the yellow cedar tree to make the warp yarns. The bark gives body and denSity to the yarns and thus helps to hold the shapes woven into the blanket designs. The weft-twining technique that is used to make the blankets compresses the warp yarns; without a bark core, the designs might contort.
For the modern spinner who wishes to produce a yarn that closely resembles a Chilkat warp yarn, merino roving is a good substitute for mountain-goat wool. The spinning can be done without the bark core, or with a vegetable-fiber string such as jute. A true Chilkat warp, however, must be spun with yellow cedar bark, for no other fiber imparts the same stiffness or delightful aroma to the finished yarn.
Preparing the bark core—I was taught to collect cedar bark by Delores Churchill, a Haida basket weaver from Ketchikan,
Alaska. Delores explained that it is best to collect the bark in early spring, when the sap is just beginning to rise. At this time, the bark is loosening on the tree, but it is not too pitchy. The tree should be a healthy one, approximately 2 ft. to 3 ft. in circumference, with a long, straight trunk and no low branches.
Cutting the bark. To begin the process of collecting the tree's inner bark, take a sharp knife and make a horizontal slice in the tree, about 1 ft. from the ground. This slice should go only one-third of the way around the trunk so that the tree will be able to heal itself.
Prying up the bark. Next, insert a bark peeler—a bone tool the size and shape of a blunt kitchen knife—under the corner of the cut and pry up the bark. From this first section, you'll get a thin strip about 1 yd. Long that you’ll be able to pull up and off the tree. Then wiggle the bark peeler under a second strip about a hand-span wide, and start prying it up. As you continue to pry, the strip will slowly taper, until it comes off the tree about 10 yd. to 15 yd. up. Usually a third long strip may be pulled from the tree in the same manner.
Splitting the bark. Now you are ready to separate the reddish-brown outer bark from the cream-colored inner bark. For each piece of bark you have collected, split the two layers at one end and carefully pull them apart (see left-hand photo, bottom of p. 56). Discard the outer bark. Remove any excess pitch from the strip of inner bark by pulling the strip through your hands. Then wrap all the strips of inner bark into a bundle, and store the bundles in a warm place so they will dry out completely. Dried bark can be stored for years, as long as it is kept very dry. Dampness encourages a spotty green mold, which causes people who are allergic to it to break out in blisters when they touch it.
Boiling the bark. To remove most of the pitch from the bark and make the material pliable, put a bundle of bark into a large pot of water. Then boil the bark outdoors for 2 to 3 hr., or until it splits easily into layers. You may add 2 or 3 tbs. of oil or fat to the bath to help in the process. Be sure to keep an eye on the bark, as overcooking will supersaturate the wood fibers and turn them to mush.
Bundling the bark. When the boiling is done, cut the wet bundles into lengths of about 1 yd. Set one length aside for spinning; dry and store the others. Then, from the length of wet bark, split 8 to 10 strips, each about the size of a blade of grass, and lay them out ready to spin.
Spinning the bark core—The technique for spinning the split bark into a single strand (see photos, p. 57) is simpler than the method for spinning the yarn. Hold one end of the split bark in your left hand; put the other end across the top of your right thigh, with the fingertips of your right hand on it. Then roll the bark down your thigh until the base of your hand is on it. This completes one pass.
After each pass, pick up the twisted bark and take it back to the top of your thigh to repeat the rolling movement, until the whole length is tightly spun. Then lay the spun length flat and allow it to dry. After this, you can either store it or spin it with wool. If the pitch makes your hands or thigh very sticky while you're spinning the bark, rub them with margarine or oil.
Spinning the warp yarn—I have spun 3,000 yd. of warp yarn using the hand-and- thigh method, but the technique that I used for those yards is slightly different from the one detailed in the photo sequence on pp. 58 and 59. I was taught to spin by my mother, Cheryl Samuel, who had learned through years of experimentation. Following the steps described in her book, The Chilkat Dancing Blanket (North Seattle: Pacific Search Press, 1982), I spun yarns using wet spun cedar bark, believing that the twist in the yarn would not set unless the bark was wet. The problem was that I had to constantly stop spinning in order to prepare more wet bark, which would promptly untwist while being spun into the wool. I had tried dry, unspun bark, but that did not spin well at all.
With this background, I began my research by reading “The Chilkat Blanket” (Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural. History, vol. 3, pp. 329-401), written in 1907 by Lt. George T. Emmons, who had observed Indian women at work. I was surprised to come across a line in his treatise stating that the spun bark was dried before it was spun into the wool. Upon trying it this way, I found that not only does the ply stay together tightly, but the wool surrounds the bark much better than it does with wet, unspun bark. Moreover, dry bark that has been spun makes the spinning go faster, because a large quantity can be prepared in advance.
The Chilkat process by which dried bark and wool roving are dampened, spun, and plied (photo sequence, pp. 58-59) produces a two-ply Z-twist warp yarn. When the singles are spun down the leg with the right hand, the yarns are given an S-twist; when the two-ply yarn comes back up the leg, it has a Z-twist (see drawings below). Even though the singles should be spun tightly, they do not have to be pushed too hard on the thigh. You'll find that technique, rather than pressure, spins the yarn. With practice, you will be able to produce a two- ply yarn with an average of seven twists per inch. You may also find that after spinning some yards your thigh will be somewhat sore and reel. For protection, try wearing a pair of tight blue jeans. The jeans must be well faded, however; other wise, the dyes used in them will impart a blue color to the yarn.
At the end of each spinning session, stretch out the spun yarn and allow it to dry overnight. You can wind it around a board or two pegs, or onto a swift (a yarn winding reel), but be sure to secure both ends so they do not untwist. Once it is dry, wind the yarn into a ball. Then, to resume spinning, splice new wool and bark onto the two plies at the free end of the strand coming from the ball. In subsequent spinning sessions, only the newly spun yarn need bc stretched out to dry.
Alena Samuel, 19, of Victoria, British Columbia, has been spinnir1{J Chilkat-style for six years, and she has demonstrated the technique at various weavers' conferences. Her recent commissions include 1,000 yd. of warp yarn for Robert Davidson, noted Haida artist-
