Equisetum hymale or scouring rush loves to grow in wet riparian areas in valleys near streams or in ditches.
This is the first time I’ve ever use soda ash, or washing soda, during the cooking process. I’ve made Equisetum paper before without it, but I was encouraged to try the small amount of washing soda after engaging in May Babcock’s online workshop. (Paperslurry.com) I was delighted to discover May and her newsletter during the Covid years, finding her experimental approach to papermaking and eco-art playful and inviting.
I cooked the cut materials for 3 hours, let it sit overnight, rinsed it four times until there was no feeling of soapiness in the water and the ph was 7. All the rinse water was safe to use on the garden plants.
I love the texture and translucent quality.
Newly screened papers always need to be pressed under weights for a time in order for the new hydrogen bonds to form which produces a strong paper.
After pressing…Here are the board-dried pieces.
You can see this material really wants to shrink up if left unrestrained while drying.
Here are the line-dried sheets of paper.
You can see the strong shrinkage, which can be useful in sculptural projects!
Dried under weights, with couching cloths between each piece, which I would change out for dry cloths each day, resulted in a nice paper which folded well enough for a book cover.
I will made more of this paper. I could add some abaca or cotton to emphasize different qualities of the material, but I love it just as it is too.
