Rope Making Fun

For Christmas Firm-Hand-Buddha made me a rope machine!  I ordered a tonne of yarn and have been chomping at the bit to get at making some jute.  I am a rope addict (as if calling myself aropedeevil didn't already give that away), and it was very hard to wait!  Finally, we had good weather (I actually got a sunburn) and I was able to try the machine out.

The first few attempts were TERRIBLE, resulting in kinky rope that felt rather bizarre, but after a few more tweaks things ran a great deal smoother!

As you can see, It was smooth enough that I was able to spend a weekend and spin a reasonable amount.  Note that the dark red, and the dark purple rope are treated.  The rest are still fuzzy and untouched. 

I am thrilled with this rope, but I admit, not everyone will like it.  It is single ply, which means even at 6mm, with 3 strands of 12 yarns, the rope lacks that hardness that many associate with rope.  This stuff is soft, alive and not for the faint hearted.  Single ply jute requires more love, more care, if one wants it to last.  But it is also incredibly responsive and sexy to have on your skin.  I may be a bit in love!

When I took a moment to quickly condition the rope, the colour darkened to reveal the rich undertones that make jute so damned special.
As soon as my bunny is feeling better I will be doing some body work to break mine in (purple is for MY BUNNY...)


For your amusement, here is the video I shot.  No go pro, so it is what it is.
Happy Rigging!

JBO Jute Rope: WARNING Allergies and Toxicities

ute Rope: WARNING Allergies & Toxicities

by aropedeevil  

I came across a post on Fetlife in which the poster was wondering if anyone has discovered they are allergic to Jute. Naturally I was alarmed, as Jute is a natural fiber that is preferred by many riggers for shibari and suspension, yours truly included.
I use jute and hemp, depending on who I am rigging, what type of tie I am doing and my mood. My jute comes from M0co and I am very happy with it.
In the comments of the posting there was a link to this article, regarding JUTE and alelrgies:
http://bonesandrope.com/2014/08/15/are-you-allergic…
written by MissBones
Read it, it is well worth the read. Basically jute is treated with an oil that is "which is an aqueous emulsion derived from crude oil for spraying over jute fibers in order to soften them for the manufacture of jute textiles" and this oil is toxic. The article links several studies that looked into the impact of this oil on health. Not cool.
Thankfully, my rope is made by m0co and he spins his rope himself, which means they are jto free.
So... If you get around jute and start experiencing allergy like symptoms or skin reactions, you may be using jute that has been treated with jto.
happy rigging
Aropedeevil