Water hyacinth, commonly known as water fern, is an aquatic plant native to South America. This plant is famous for its large, bulging stems, lush green leaves, and beautiful purple or white flowers. Although often considered a "weed" on rivers, water hyacinth has many potential values in the fields of handicrafts and fashion.
Water hyacinth: rustic beauty from nature
Water hyacinth, native to tropical and subtropical regions, was introduced to Vietnam. It grows best in warm water and warmer climates. It has broad, thick, smooth leaves and can grow up to 1m or 2m above the water surface.
After drying, the water hyacinth can be used to make beautiful and durable handicrafts.
Outstanding features of water hyacinth material:
Durability: Water hyacinth fiber is taken from the plant stem after drying, has high durability equivalent to cotton fiber, even superior to silk.
Breathable: water hyacinth fabric has good sweat absorption and ventilation, bringing a comfortable feeling when used.
Water resistance: the natural wax layer on the surface of water hyacinth fibers helps the fabric have good water resistance, suitable for manufacturing products such as bags, hats, raincoats,...
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Environmentally friendly: Water hyacinth products are derived from natural materials and do not contain toxic chemicals, so they are very environmentally friendly and safe for users. In addition, because the material is durable, easy to clean, and recyclable, it also contributes to reducing waste and protecting the environment.
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High aesthetics: today, on the market there are a variety of products made from water hyacinth with many different designs, shapes, and patterns, meeting all the decoration needs according to consumers' preferences. Not only stopping at bringing solemnity and coziness, the products also add artistic value to your home. With a water hyacinth carpet placed on the living room floor, a water hyacinth basket with green plants or a cushion as a seat, a small product can completely change the atmosphere in your home. Water hyacinth fabric has beautiful natural colors, along with smooth gloss and unique patterns, bringing rustic and delicate beauty to the products.
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Affordable: The fast-growing nature of water hyacinth makes this craft material quite inexpensive.
The most prominent item made from water hyacinth is the carpet. Water hyacinth carpet is a type of carpet woven entirely from natural water hyacinth fibers, not combined with artificial materials, so it has a simple, rustic style.
In addition, water hyacinth is dried and used in bag, box and basket weaving products. Water hyacinth products are popular with foreign customers and are often made for export.
Water hyacinth weaving: a gift from nature, a creation from human hands
In the art of making water hyacinth products, there is a basic principle, which is not to paint, but to keep its natural color. If you want the product to have color, you have to dye the raw material before weaving the product, just like dyeing sedge before weaving mats.
However, this method is not very popular. To beautify the product and attract customers, people often use decorative materials such as dried flowers, strings, ropes or plastic or glass beads to attach flowers and leaves to water hyacinth products. This method is especially popular in foreign markets.
To date, there are two very simple forms of weaving water hyacinth products: weaving water hyacinth mats, also known as water hyacinth plates, and weaving water hyacinth frames. There are three basic water hyacinth weaving techniques, each weaving style is suitable for different types of products.
1. Rice bead weaving, also known as na eye weaving: weaving shelves for newspapers and magazines
2. Herringbone weaving: often used for weaving carpets
3. Puppet weaving, also known as spider weaving: frame weaving, more beautiful than rice grain weaving but also more difficult to do. Up to now, this weaving style is only popular in Cai Be, Tien Giang, while in Vinh Long, two main types of rice grain weaving and fish bone weaving are mainly applied.
Depending on the locality and the establishment, people weave different products. If Ngãi Tứ, Tam Bình district, specializes in weaving water hyacinth carpets, then in Cái Bè district, Tiền Giang province, people mainly weave frame-woven products. This product is relatively rich and diverse in design, size, etc.
Water hyacinth usually drifts along rivers, then washes up on riverbanks or around islands. Sometimes water hyacinth grows in garden ditches. At about three months old, water hyacinth enters its mature stage, with stems reaching 60 cm in length. That is the right time to harvest water hyacinth.
People cut the water hyacinth close to the root, remove the leaves, then dry it in the sun for a few days until it withers, and then it becomes the raw material for weaving water hyacinth products.
Nowadays, the water hyacinth weaving profession has initially developed relatively strongly in some localities in the Western provinces such as Vinh Long. The water hyacinth weaving profession creates jobs, increases income for idle farmers in the countryside, and becomes a livelihood for households. The majority of water hyacinth weavers are women, in addition to farming and housework, often taking advantage of their free time to weave water hyacinth. Although it is only a side job, but for skilled and hard-working workers, when they get used to the job, the income from water hyacinth weaving is higher than the main income from farming. Above all, this job is available all year round. The water hyacinth weaving profession has brought about many practical effects, and is a lifeline for many idle workers. Water hyacinth has been named a tree that eliminates hunger and reduces poverty. In the current market, the demand for water hyacinth products is still high, which means that the water hyacinth weaving profession still has the opportunity to develop strongly in the future. Craft village Kim Son district handicraft, Ninh Binh, is increasingly developing the water hyacinth weaving profession with the craft village model. Enterprises have been increasingly perfecting and developing professionally to bring products with the best quality, suitable for consumers' tastes, and exporting to countries in the region and internationally.
However, for poor workers who want to rely on this profession to develop their family economy, considering it as a stable source of income, they are currently facing two major difficulties. The first is capital. They need money to buy raw water hyacinth, store it for use during the rainy season or when there is a shortage of goods on the market. The second major difficulty is the source of raw materials. Nowadays, natural water hyacinth is becoming increasingly scarce. For example, in Vinh Long, there is no place that supplies raw water hyacinth. Local households also said that exploiting natural water hyacinth is no longer as easy as before. To find water hyacinth, they have to gather in groups, use boats to search in far away areas in the hope of finding a source of goods...
From the above situation, both the workers and the managers need to look together in the same direction to improve. First of all, for those directly involved in the craft of weaving water hyacinth products, it is time for them to consider the possibility of growing raw water hyacinth to replace the exploitation of water hyacinth in the wild. Water hyacinth is not difficult to grow. From planting to harvesting, it only takes about three months, and does not require much care. Second, from a management perspective, the fact that a wild plant in the wild, which was almost an unknown plant five or ten years ago, like water hyacinth, has now been completely exploited raises a problem worth thinking about: the problem of symbiosis between humans and the environment.
Water hyacinth fiber fabric
Researchers at Rattanakosin University of Technology (RMUTT), Thailand have succeeded in developing natural fibers from water hyacinth stems to create innovative textile products.
The research team was led by Associate Professor Dr. Sakorn Chonsakorn, Associate Professor Dr. Rattanaphol Mongkholrattanasit and Professor Supanicha Srivorradatpaisan from the Faculty of Textiles, College of Food Technology, RMUTT. The project, funded by the Thai Textile Institute, focuses on mechanical extraction of water hyacinth fibres, spinning, weaving and creating textile products from this material. The research is in line with the national strategy for sustainable development, focusing on improving the efficiency of agricultural production and adding value to agricultural products.
Advantages of water hyacinth fiber:
- Water hyacinth is a wild grass but has the ability to absorb organic nitrogen higher than other types.
- Water hyacinth stems contain large amounts of long fibers, suitable for the production of textile fibers.
- Chemical composition: cellulose 50.38%, lignin 2.25%,…
- Characteristics: 30-50 cm long fiber, creamy white, 50 µm diameter, complex surface, soft.
Water hyacinth fiber production process:
- Harvesting: After harvesting, water hyacinth stems from rivers and canals are about 50 cm long. The roots and leaves are cut off and then dried.
- Fiber extraction: use semi-automatic fiber separator to separate the outer shell of water hyacinth stem, obtain long fiber. Fiber is dried naturally.
- Spinning: water hyacinth fiber after processing has an average length of 8.45 cm, average tensile strength of 9.36 gf/denier. The fiber is often combined with rayon or polyester to form a mixed fiber with good moisture absorption and durability.
Water hyacinth fiber products:
- Water hyacinth silk can be used for weaving and knitting.
- Diverse textile products: clothes, hats, shoes, household items, tablecloths.
Advantages of water hyacinth fiber:
- Light, airy, suitable for sewing.
- Environmentally friendly, utilizing available raw materials.
- Create unique textile products, increase economic value for the textile industry
Water hyacinth is a fast-growing, free-floating plant that has spread rapidly across water surfaces from Asia to Africa. Its rapid spread to many parts of Africa over the past decade has caused great concern. If left unchecked, its leaves block sunlight, reduce oxygen levels in water, and kill fish. It also clogs waterways, reduces biodiversity, and impedes navigation. Its habitat is also an attractive habitat for malaria-carrying mosquitoes and a haven for snails that carry tapeworms. “If properly utilized, water hyacinth can become a source of income for people,” said Holia Onggo, a researcher at the Physics Research Center of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences. She added that some useful uses have been found for the plant. For example, its stems can be used to make furniture, paper, and crafts, or to produce fertilizer and gas. The gas is produced from organic matter that decays in the absence of oxygen. Onggo is also involved in training local people to make water hyacinth a profitable resource, saying: “There are no technical requirements for producing raw materials from water hyacinth.”
Water hyacinth, from a "weed" on rivers, has become a valuable source of raw materials in the fields of handicrafts and fashion. With its superior characteristics and great significance, water hyacinth promises to continue to be exploited and developed, contributing to enhancing traditional cultural values and protecting the environment.
Source: Scidev.net | langnghe.org
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