Can You Spin Milkweed Silk and Cottonwood Fluff?

In the spring, cottonwood trees release snowy piles of downy seeds. In the fall, milkweed pods are another source of surprising fiber that we rarely see turned into yarn. Like many spinners, I’ve looked at this fluff in the natural world and wondered whether I could spin it. The answer? Yes, no, and maybe.

Milkweed Silk

Perhaps the most well-known purpose of the milkweed plant is the importance it plays in the lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly. But it also has other important historical and present-day uses. North American indigenous peoples used it for warmth as it has strong insulating properties (1). Other parts of the plant, such as the stem fibers, were used for making cordage. Modern applications for milkweed silk include stuffing for pillows, quilts, coats, gloves and oil spill cleanup. Currently, Lasclay, a Quebec-based company in Canada, sells a variety of these types of milkweed silk items(2). But as a handspinner, I knew I had to answer the question for myself! Could I spin milkweed seed fluff?