Hemp (Cannabis sativa) i muxaka wa cannabis lowungana nhlayo yale hansi ya euphoric THC cannabinoid naswona ayi dakwisi kufana na xaka rakona, ra psychoactive ‘dagga’.
Ti fibre leti to leha letinga e handle ka ximilani lexi kulaka hiku hatlisa swinene xa hemp ati tirhisiwa eka swimakiwa swotiya swinene kufana na tibokhathi (jeans), tintanghu, tintambhu na maseyila. Kahle kahle, swimakiwa leswi endliweke hi hemp swikumiwe emaribyeni khale kwalomuya ka malembe yava 8 000 B.C. naswona mabulandlela Christopher Columbus a tirhisa tintambu ta hemp eka swikepe swayena xikan’we na maseyila ya hemp.
Hemp vs Rikulu
Hemp yinga teka vundzhawu hiku olova bya rikulu eka ku endla swiambalo. Eka vumaki lebyi bya rikulu, leyi tirhisaka 50% wa swidlaya switsotswana leswi fafazeriwaka emisaveni hinkwayo, hemp ayi lavi swidlaya switsotswana loko yi rimiwa. Tlhandla kambirhi, fibre ya hemp yitiyerile, yi lehile naswona yitswonga swinene kutlula rikulu. Hemp yitlhela yi kondzelela mavabyi yofana na mildew, yitlhela yiva na vuswikoti bya kahle byaku hlayisa mahiselo naswona ayi humi muhlovo hiku olova kufana na rikulu.
Ndlela Yo Endla Hemp Yiva Lapi
Hemp leyi byariweke ku endla fibre eka vuhumelerisi byati textiles yilava kutshoveriwa hiku hatlisa loko kaha sungula kuhuma mabilomu loko kaha huma mbewu. Leswi swingava kwalomu ka 70 - 90 wa masiku endzhaku kaloko ku hume mbewu. Ku tshoveriwa ka hemp swi endliwa hiku tirhisa muchini wotshovela.
Goza rosungula eka kululamisa hemp iku endla leswi vange i retting. Retting hiloko tinhu ta hemp tishikiwa ti lovekiwe endzeni ka mati. Retting (kumbe rotting) hiloko ti bacteria na fungi swifayelela ti pectins leti khomelelaka fibre ya hemp yiva endzhawu yin’we. Retting yinga endliwa hi tindlela tinharhu. Tinhu ta hemp tinga tshikiwa emasin’wini kuringana mune kuya eka ntsevu wa mavhiki, tiri endzeni ka mati kuringana 10 ra masiku kumbe ti lulamisiwa hiti enzymes. Loko maendlelo lawa ya retting ya fike emakumu, tinhu keti tita vonaka tiri to basa tiri na fibre oy leha leyi sukaka hiku olova eka tinhu leti.
Eka goza leri landzelaka, tinhu ta hemp ta hlengeletiwa kutani tiyisiwa eka muchini wa “decortication”. Eka sweswo, tinhu ta tshoveleriwa naswona timhandzi tahambanyisiwa na fibre leyi yo leha. Fibre leyi yo leha yiyisiwa eka roller laha yifikaka yi olovisiwa loko yingase tsemiwa kusukela eka 3m kuya eka to koma xikombiso 650mm. Swiphemu leswi swokoma swa kamiwa, swivevukisiwa kutani kususiwa swipetsu leswintsongo swa tinhu leswingavaka swisele. Ti fibre leti to koma tivuriwa ‘tow’ kasi leti to leha tona tivuriwa ‘line fibre’.
Kutani ti fibre ta hemp ti longoloxiwa hindlela leyiyaka emahlweni ya “sliver” leswaku tita basisiwa, tikarhi ti tsakama kumbe ti omile. Loko ti basisiwa tikarhi ti tsakama swikahle swinene hikuva swi olovisa pectin leyi pfumelelaka leswaku fibre yi hambanyiseka hiku olova xikan’we baku humelerisa hemp yarn ya kahle.
Swakahle Hi Hemp Fibre
Hemp yi hlawulekile kutlula swibyariwa swin’wani swa textile fibre (kufana na cotton kumbe flax ya linen), hivumbirhi kuya hi ndlela ya makulelo xikan’we na switirhisiwa swa swona. Swakahle hiku byala hemp swikatsa mati yantsongo lawa lavekaka kukurisa hemp kutlula rikulu. Hemp yitlhela yilava swidlaya switsotswani swintsongo tani hi leswi yi chaviwaka hi switsotswani naswona yi kondzelela mavabyi kasi hile tlhelo mbuyelo wa hemp fibre (hi hectare) wule henhla kutlula wa flax na rikulu.
Kuya hi khwalithi ya fibre; hemp i yin’wana yati fibre ta ntumbuluko leti tiyeke swinene, yi hlayisa mahiselo naswona yi hefemula kahle swinene, yi kondzelela mould na mildew yitlhela yikondzelela ku hlakala hi xiyimo xale henhla. Ku vevuka ka lapi ra hemp swinyanya loko rimbariwa naswona muhlowo awu humi hiku hatlisa kufana nale ka rikulu.
Kuya hi hemp tani hi xitirhisiwa xaku khavisa emakaya, yikota ku sivela miseve ya dyambu (UV blocking) hindlela yo hlamarisa (leswinga kahle eka ti blinds na makheteni) naswona ayi tsanyuki ngopfu lero switirhisiwa leswinga phutseriwa hi yona switshama swiri eka xiyimo xa kahle.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni