Banana fiber is a super-unusual, super-fun fiber to spin. It usually flies out of the Boutique before I even have a chance to tell you about here.  But there’s still a few colors left (and I have about 2 lbs undyed), so I thought I’d talk a bit about spinning with it.

Peacock Banana

If you’d like to know more about how eco-friendly and fair-trade banana fiber is, be sure to read this.

Spinning Banana Fiber

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, this is a funky, funky fiber. I don’t spin it straight, I tend to blend it in with something a little more spin-able. I usually spend a few minutes teasing it apart and then cut it up as I add it to a batt.

If you don’t have a carder (or handcards), or if you want to make it really funky, you can add it in while spinning something else. Start spinning with your “main” fiber (wool or something sticky will work best). Pull apart a chunk of banana fiber and hold it in the hand that ’s not holding the main fiber. Let the banana wrap around the main fiber as you allow the twist to travel into it. Tuck the ends of the banana fiber into the unspun portion of the main fiber (or let them fly out for extra texture).

One of my customers is spinning a very fine, smooth yarn out of the banana fiber at a high twist with a lot of drafting.

If you’re ready to experiment with banana fiber, buy it here.