# Spinning- Source of Cotton for Spinning



## blawler (Feb 20, 2012)

I went to our local all organic farmer's market yesterday and saw some beautiful snow white organic cotton for sale. The vendor said it came from a cotton tree that he has (not the usual bush/plant) and he had lots of it (his wife picks the seeds out by hand as she watches TV in the evenings). I immediately thought of you folks and mentioned your possible interest to him. He said he'd work up a price per ounce/pound if anyone wanted to buy some to spin. He said it spins fairly easily according to his wife who is not a spinner but played with it a bit. Let me know if you're interested in acquiring some of this material and I'll pursue it and put you in direct contact with him. Aloha... Bev


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

I'm not sure what the mail would say about shipping out to the USA a lot of plants from Hawaii can not be mailed I'm sure you could look into it first then let us know if it can be mailed.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

Sounds live a new mind of fun.???? spinning cotton.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

Spinning cotton is a bit rough. You can add it to some other roving to make it easy. It is very short so needs a revved up spin meaning very fast spin. I have some I bought a little over a year ago and the lady said I could do it but it needs a lot of practice. So I bought some bamboo have some flax and going to mix it all for a very absorbent yarn for dish towels.


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## nellig (May 10, 2016)

This tree cotton is new to me. I have spun cotton on a charka and the takli, but it has always been from the bolls directly off of the plant or from roving. Tree cotton sounds interesting.


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## JustMe57 (Aug 27, 2016)

So interesting, had to look it up. Yes, I am extremely curious about so many things. Several kinds of cotton trees listed. Wikipedia shows a huge tree in Honolulu that produces pods of fiber. Will try to add picture of pod. If not, here's link. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceiba_pentandra
Was his cotton already combed out? Would love to see picture. I have been lucky enough to visit several of Hawaii's islands and loved the farmers markets. The little apple bananas are not to be resisted! Each time we went, I brought back some of the little plumeria cuttings from Hilo Hattie's and the tiny little ti cuttings. I know, tourists. Actually got most of them to grow, even the ti. Have so many pink, yellow, white and red plumeria from those cuttings, we had to build a greenhouse, although Texas seems to become more tropical every year. Every time I see one of your postings, I get such a happy feeling as it brings back so many beautiful memories. Anyway, let me see if I can attach this picture.


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## blawler (Feb 20, 2012)

mama879 said:


> I'm not sure what the mail would say about shipping out to the USA a lot of plants from Hawaii can not be mailed I'm sure you could look into it first then let us know if it can be mailed.


Next week on Wednesday I'll take some pictures of the product he has. It's soft and fluffy and ready to spin. All the seeds have been removed. When you see the pictures you'll have a better idea of what this is. Aloha... Bev


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## llamama1 (Jun 22, 2012)

I'd love to see pictures and more information on it. I will be on the big island for ten days in January.


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## Laurel Beale (Jan 17, 2014)

I wonder if what you have is from a kapok tree. The picture does not look like cotton books. I grow Pima cotton and it is a perennial and I trim it back each year and it grows like a shrub.
Laurelk in S. CA.


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## Laurel Beale (Jan 17, 2014)

Argh. Should have said cotton bolls.
Laurelk in S. CA


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## JustMe57 (Aug 27, 2016)

The picture I posted may not be what blawler has at all. It is just one of the trees called cotton tree that does grow in Hawaii. There are probably others. I can't wait to see the pix she brings back on Wednesday.


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## Laurel Beale (Jan 17, 2014)

Well, it has me thinking. I wonder if you could spin kapok fluff from a kapok tree. It was used for stuffing in pillows, etc. then I am wondering if we could grow a kapok tree in S. CA, specifically N. San Diego county.
laurelk in S. CA


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