Working with Flax and Nettles
By woodlandstv
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Here at Bentley Woodfair we see expert Allan Brown talking us through the various processes involved in preparing flax and nettles ready for hand spinning - from growing, cutting, drying and storing through to working the plant to reduce it to its most useful natural fibres. Allan uses traditional equipment, adopting specific techniques to best work the flax. We appreciate how, in times past, this would have had enormous production value - as flax and nettles were used to make all sorts of crucial items, from sails and bed sheets to clothes and cordage - and this skill still has its value today. For more info, please email: thewoollyumbrella@gmail.com
http://www.bentley.org.uk/ An Adliberate film http://www.adliberate.co.uk for WoodlandsTV http://www.woodlands.co.uk/tv
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Discussion
There are lots of videos here that explain that. But, basically you harvest it at the right time and wear gloves. Once you boil or dry the plant, it no longer stings. Boiled nettle leaves are super nutritious food.
Very fascinating! I think I have nettles growing in my back yard and now I want to try to harvest them!
fabulous!
Ukkies!
I would love to try this, I wonder if the tools are hard to find?
What is the name of this event/institution that processes these materials? Thank you
Handy tips, and may I say, you are a good advert for the lifestyle
I bet you could make tools that would do the job well!
I'd love to try!
Very interesting.
Nick Doe maybe for the ultra rich, but they would have likely been using cotton. There were just far too many waste products which could be used as mattress stuffing than squander perfectly usable fiber. Straw, down, animal hairs as a by product of tanning. Most of the poor would have been using a weaved bed roll of rushes or pelts through out the majority of history.
maxdecphoenix
January 27, 2018