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Touch Me,
Don’t Forget Me
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Pulp Processing

*Make pulp max. 2 days before (depending on season) → pulp will ferment.

/steps/

Ferment Material → Boil (fermented material only) → Boil (soda ash) → Smashing

/tools/

Large bucket; Water; Gas burner; Pot; Soda ash; Hammer; Wooden board; Blender; Scissors or knife
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Ferment Material
*option 1*

  • Fill bucket with water
  • Raw material should all sit below the water, the ones left poking out will begin to mold
  • Stir once a day

*note: the speed of the process is dependent on the climate one lives in; during the summer in Japan, the humidity and the heat speeds up the process of fermentation, therefore this process
is ideal for summer temperatures*


~ a week



Boil (fermented material only)

  • Boil water
  • Blanche the fermented material
  • Let it sit for a few minutes, rinse with cold water

*note: ONLY for fermentation process. This step is to stop the fermentation to continue, if this part is not done, the raw material may mold.*


~ 10min


Boil with Soda Ash
*option 2*

  • Boil water until it's bubbling
  • Add 20% of soda ash to the weight of raw material in the water
  • Once boiled, put raw material in, and let it boil for 2h

*note: after 2h, check the consistency of the fiber. If it is still too hard, add more soda ash, or consider retrying using caustic soda. Caustic soda is much stronger than soda ash, however it will weaken the fiber.*


~ 2hrs


Smashing

  • Squeeze out excess water from the boiled pulp
  • Use a wooden hammer to smash the pulp to break down fiber

*note: this process is also useful to remove the excess bark leftover on the plant. Using a metal hammer may leave stains*


~ long


Blending

  • Cut the pulp into small pieces using a scissor or a knife to make the blending more efficient
  • Fill blender with mostly water, and add about a handful of fiber

    *note: the blended fiber should look cloudy and almost like cotton in the water.*


~ long