Distaffs Are Growing In My Yard

 I found a terrifically useful bush growing in my yard. It was a weed, now it provides pre-shaped wood for tools. 

 

When I find a bush that has grown enough to be shaped into a distaff, about three or four feet tall, I cut it well below the area that I think will be the bottom of my distaff. Here is an example that I hope will also provide enough information for readers to identify the type of plant.

 

 Now I remove all of the leaves and stems that I don't want, creating a rough shape of the distaff that i want. I leave everything longer than needed so I can make the final decisions as the branch gets closer to being a distaff. My tools are simple, scissors, a handsaw with a fine blade, and the wooden thing at the top is a wood carving knife that has a neat cap and leather strap (it will be more visible later).

 I have left more stems on the main distaff branch than I think I will want in the end, but it is better to leave them on.

At this point I scrape of all of the bark and then layers of plant material between the bark and the woody center. I use a knife meant for carving wood. Any knife that you can use safely will probably work fine. We have some smooth blade steak knives that I am tempted to move from the kitchen to my tool box.

It is a simple process. Hold a sharp-ish blade perpendicular to the small branch and scrap off the bark and the layers below the bark, until the wood you see looks clean. The layers below the bark will react with the air and turn brownish. You'll see them well enough to know that you don't want them and need to keep scraping. Be careful while carping in the crooks of the off-shots. Nothing needs to be quickly, the scraping can be a slow and meditative act.

 

 

 

As I scrap I also trim away any stems I don't want and trim it to the length I do want using my knife and making small cuts. At this point, the new distaff is a bit rough, not as smooth as you'll want the finished tool. It will also probably feel damp. I let dry overnight and then sand the surface and the carved ends so everything is smooth.

I use thin bands to make a handle so the distaff is held onto my left hand and all of my fingers are free to mange the fiber on its way to the spindle.

 

 

 

I've been making and using these distaffs for a few years and they are holding up well. At first I used thicker bushes and stems because I was afraid they would break, none have so far. Now I make them fairly thin so they are light weight.