Civilian Saddle Blanket

[Forrestcavalryman]

Yeah, what gives? Do you not like us any more?

[Paul L Muller]

OH , I tried to find you all, and did find Jeff and a Luke, But the rest of you had to be hidding in the weeds talking about me behind my back My step son fell from his horse duing the Fallen Timbers battle friday. I had to get to the hospital and gave his horse to a trooper who offered to take the animal so I could find a ride there. I spent saturdayriding and walking the whole Shiloh encampment looking for the horse. I did find your camp area, asked for Mark , Ken, and Jeff, and found Jeff on Sunday i think. Dan was find by the way and found the horse and two other horses that ran off and found their owner. Sure wish you all had pics to share, I REALLY wanted to be with you'll. plm

[Mrs Paul L Muller]

Just an update for all y'all interested in the goings on of the Spanish moss retting. After scouring the internet and posting on different fiber arts forums, I was put in contact with web pages and at least one person who has worked with Spanish moss. I have not heard from Dawn or Jason, but I did not let that deter me. The six 30-gallon bags of Spanish moss that Jeff brought to Shiloh is now in 3 experimental spots.

1) Totally submerge the moss in water and let the heat of the sun rett the moss.
2) Place moss in black plastic bags and wet thoroughly
3) Open air compost pile

There will be a 4th when I return from my youngest son's Army basic training graduation next week

4) Boiling the moss

I have watched a video of Dawn processing the moss and am delighted to see that she uses a drum carder. I won't use my expensive, fine wool carder for this, but I do have a friend that has a coarse wool drum carder that is in need of repair and totally useless on her fine wool Merino sheep fiber. I should be able to get it from her pretty cheaply.

There is some interest in the fiber community about this project. The largest magazine about spinning (Spin-Off! from Interweave Press) is now interested in doing an article about retting, spinning and weaving Spanish moss blankets. Hopefully, this will create at least a few more moss pads, blankets or mats for our guys.

Ken, do you actually have the original saddle pad? If so, when the time comes for weaving, would you mind sending it to me so I can accurately weave it? I know in a photo, it looked, to me, like it was twined instead of the normal tabby weave.

2 Garbage pails of moss and water:
spanishmoss05022012c.jpg

5 large garbage bags filled with wet moss:
spanishmoss05022012b.jpg

A bit left in the compost pile: (These will be covered with 3 garbage bags of moss)
spanishmoss05022012a.jpg

And the required guard rooster:
spanishmoss05022012h.jpg

[Ken Knopp]

Cyndi, I no longer have a piece of the balnket having sold it off some years ago to a museum. The Tennessee State Museum has a "nearly" fully intact SP M. saddle blanket. Both of these and other pieces came from the same "dig" in downtown Nashville in 1996. I have photos of the above originals or, I could put you in contact with personel from these museums if that would help. Other than that, I might suggest you contact some of the owners of the more recently reproduced Sp Moss blankets. I don't really like to suggest the idea of "reproducing- reproductions" but given their rarity (even the re-pop'd ones) that might be your only opportunity to actually view and handle a spanish moss blanket.
I dont know what to suggest about other ways or means to contact Dawn Klug. I have no other contact information other than what I previously imparted to you.
In any event, whatever I have is at your disposal just ask. Sorry I could not be of more help.

Ken R Knopp

[Mrs Paul L Muller]

Ken,
I found Dawn on FB and sent her a friend request with a message telling her what I was up to. In the meanwhile, on a fiber arts forum I am in contact with a lady that is friends with the person that taught Dawn how to spin & weave.

Do you have a larger picture of the original that appears on the Glenn Pier Depot page? Looking at the original and Dawn's it appears that Dawn's is a weft-faced weave where the original is a balanced weave. I know I saw a picture somewhere that it looked like the weave was twined (i.e. not woven on a heddle loom but on a frame loom).

Any pictures you can send me (mullerslanefarm@gmail.com) of an original would be terrific!

I would also appreciate contacts of the personnel of the museums that hold originals.

If this makes it to the Spin-Off magazine, I will need contacts for people to get in touch with so other spinners/weaver can make this available for you folks.

[Mrs Paul L Muller]

To echo Mark Choate, the process of retting Spanish Moss to make a product that is weavable is much, much more difficult than any kind of weaving with any other material. First of all, it takes a massive amount (relative) of Spanish Moss to render enough for one saddle blanket. The process is long and laborious, and retting the moss is not anything that you want to do inside. Jeff would need to bring a pick up truck load of Spanish Moss. If you don't have ready access to Spanish Moss (remember that Mrs. Klug lived in Florida where it is readily available), then it is going to be virtually impossible. You probably don't want to take the raw moss into your house, as it often comes with lots of parasites.

It has taken me 2 months of thinking and 'cooling down' my response to actually respond this post.

I'll begin with ... the best way to get me to do something is to tell me it can't be done. I have a very deep seated response of "I'll show you."

Jeff supplied me with enough S.M. to make at least one, if not two, saddle pads. Remember, my DH is an AC and will be making events down south where folks can bring moss to him to transport to me.

The thought of bringing the S.M. inside to rett/compost is like asking me to have my compost pile inside ... it's not going to happen!

As for the parasites, it appears that S.M. being captured within black garbage bags and set in the sun for how ever many weeks that Jeff had them and for at least a week here before I put them in a pile seems to have killed all the chiggers, spiders and red mites that it might have contained.

just managing your expectations based on watching 3 other people try it in the past.

No need for you to try to manage my expectations ... I'm not one to give up. I taught myself how to spin, weave, knit, crochet, tat, brain tan deer hides, bead said hides, cook, can, dehydrate, garden.

This is nothing more than composting some vegative matter, carding, spinning and weaving it. Far less involved than taking a raw sheep fleece from start to finish.

[Old-South]

Cyndi,
I did talk to Jason and asked him to respond to your request. He may be busy or have a full plate but I did try twice. I am excited at your enthusiasm and progress that you are making. Don't be deterred! If this works out, please put me on the list for one of those blankets! Not sure if I will be able to do Perryville as it is only 2 weeks prior to Westville in southern Georgia.With each trip north I will be glad to bring more moss. I have a place in Southern Tennessee that I frequent 3-4 times a year. Perhaps Y'all can make it that far south to get some more.
Anyway, Keep up the good work and keep us posted!

[Paul L Muller]

Good Morning , Cyndi is still asleep, but I just want to say that your help in getting the moss is wonderful. When the time comes, I would be willing to go south to get a trailer load and we could meet up. I'll send a pm ...when cyndi shows me how...to make plans. thanks plm

[ButtermilkRanger]

I'd definitely be on board to helping y'all find moss. It's still in abundance down here, just not to the levels it was when I was a kid. We have to go a little deeper in the swamp than we used to in order to find great quantities. LSU did a study a few years ago about the dwindling moss and they blamed it on carbon monoxide poisoning. I've long argued that the downfall of society was the invention of the internal combustion engine.

[Choatecav]

Go Cyndi, go!!!!

Next time we have something difficult to do, we'll just tell you that you can't do it!

Great report!

regards,
Mark