Burgundy Heirloom Cotton

“Some real Little House on the Prairie Shit.”

I got a text from my friend Becca asking if I wanted some cotton to spin. This was curious because Becca does not spin, and I was totally unsure where she would have found some. “I guess my neighbor is growing some with no intention of using it,” she texted. “He said we could use it if we give him the seeds to plant next year.” I said sure, but I still didn’t know what I was getting myself into.

These cotton plants looked nothing like the cotton I was used to seeing. For one, they were a gorgeous shade of purple. They were also considerably shorter and more prolific than the ones I grew! After Becca and I pick all the bolls we could, I set about on some research.

It turns out her neighbor was growing Burgundy Heirloom Cotton (supposedly also known as Aggie Cotton, because Texas A&M colors are burgundy and white). It’s also supposed to be a pretty rare strain, but that has differed from source to source.

I need to talk to Becca’s neighbor about whatever he did for them, though. The bolls are bright white and almost shiny, albeit a shorter staple length than the Egyptian cotton I grew, and as I said before, they produced quite a lot.

Ginning has proved to be a bit (more) of a process. I was used to three or five seeds in a boll. Five is the minimum with these. I had as many as 10 in one! So, that’s slow but steady progress. After it’s combed and spun, I’ll report back on the kind of yarn I get!