Working with Flax and Nettles
By woodlandstv
Slow connection? Watch in lower quality
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: [email protected]
http://www.bentley.org.uk/ An Adliberate film http://www.adliberate.co.uk for WoodlandsTV http://www.woodlands.co.uk/tv
Comments are closed for this post.
Discussion
will be calling them stringing nettles from now on . lovely vid.
Fascinating stuff! Also very well presented and explained by Allan.
Makes you wonder how well we would cope if thrown in to a world without electricity and metal tools!!
Cool video.
Fantastic, the best explanation I have heard and understood. Anyone know if I buy some linseeds from the health food shop, whether they would grow? I am a spinner, but have only so far spun already processed flax. Thanks again for the brilliant video.
Peace and blessings. Enjoyed this video. But I am more interested is the surroundings where this video was made. Is this a real neighborhood still thriving in 2018? Is this a commune and where is it located. Would love to see a video of daily life in this community. Thanks. 1/4/18
Thank you Allan, very labour intensive but worthy work
You could try. There are 2 types of linseed or flaxseed.
One is a shorter plant grown to produce high quantities of seed, and the other is much taller to produce lots of long fibre.
You would need to do more research on the subject.
This Irish man does an excellent presentation on growing flax, harvesting and processing it for weaving :
LINEN – Making Linen Fabric from Flax Seed – Demonstration Of How Linen Is Made
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFuj7sXVnIU
Was flax used to stuff mattresses too?
Allan yer hired! 😀
brilliant film good to see old skills being kept alive.
Justin Holifield
June 20, 2017