| Flax The preparations for spinning is | | | | process takes 4 or 5 days, and any |
| similar across most plant fibres, | | | | colder than that takes longer. When the |
| including Flax and Hemp. Cotton is | | | | retting is complete the bundles should |
| handled differently, as with cotton it | | | | feel soft and slimy, and quite a few |
| is not the stalk of the plant that is | | | | fibres should be standing out form the |
| used. Flax is the fibre used to create | | | | stalks. When wrapped around a finger the |
| linen. | | | | inner woody part should spring away from |
| Harvesting The first step in preparing | | | | the fibres. |
| flax to be spun is harvesting it. Flax | | | | It is better to not let the bundles sit |
| is not cut, but instead it is pulled out | | | | in the water long enough than to let |
| of the ground about a month after the | | | | them sit there too long, as they always |
| initial blooming. It should be pulled | | | | can be submerged again if found to be |
| when the lower part of the plant begins | | | | wanting later, but the reverse problem |
| to turn yellow, and when, on opening the | | | | cannot be solved (in this case the |
| pods, the most forward of the seeds are | | | | fibres are rotted as well as the stalk, |
| found in a soft state, and the middle of | | | | and one cannot un-rot something). |
| the seeds is green. It should be pulled | | | | Dressing the Flax Dressing is the broad |
| in handfuls, straight up. Next, one | | | | term referring to removing the fibres |
| should join several handfuls together | | | | from the straw and cleaning it enough to |
| and tie them using a slip knot so that | | | | be spun. The flax is broken scutched and |
| the sting can be tightened as the stalks | | | | hackled in this step. |
| dry. ( Note that great care should be | | | | Breaking Take the bundles of flax and |
| taken to keep the root ends even.) These | | | | untie them. Next, in small handfuls, put |
| bundles of several handfuls of flax | | | | it between the beater of the breaking |
| (also known as "beets") should be left | | | | machine ( a set of wooden blades which |
| standing up till the whole is dry, pods | | | | mesh together when the upper jaw is |
| and all. At this point the seed will | | | | lowered- it looks like a paper cutter |
| then be ripe and the flax in the best | | | | but instead of having a big knife it has |
| state. | | | | a blunt arm), and beat it till the three |
| Removing the Seedheads At this point the | | | | or four inches that have been beaten |
| seed heads are removed. Once the seed | | | | appear to be soft. Move the flax a |
| heads are removed it can be stored for | | | | little higher and continue to beat it |
| many months if necessary, but they must | | | | till all is soft, and the wood is |
| be kept dry. An easy way to remove the | | | | separated from the fibre. When half of |
| seed heads is to take a board and hammer | | | | the flax is broken, hold the beaten end |
| in a row of blunt nails at even | | | | and beat the rest in the same way as the |
| intervals, like a comb. | | | | other end was beaten, till the wood is |
| Spread a sheet out to collect the seed | | | | separated. |
| heads, as they can be planted to create | | | | Scutching In order to remove some of the |
| more flax. Next pull the dry bundles of | | | | straw from the fibre, it helps to swing |
| flax through the nails (also called a | | | | a wooden scutching knife down the fibres |
| ripple). This will cause the seed heads | | | | while they hang vertically, thus |
| to pop off. Make sure to maintain the | | | | scraping the edge of the knife along the |
| evenness of the root ends. | | | | fibres and pull away pieces of the |
| In order to separate the seeds from the | | | | stalk. Some of the fibre will also be |
| rest of the seed heads an easy method is | | | | scutched away, this cannot be helped and |
| to thresh the seed heads by use of a | | | | is natural. |
| rolling pin. Then, on a windy day or in | | | | Hackles In this process the fibre is |
| front of a fan, take the mixture and | | | | pulled through various different sized |
| pour it back and forth between two | | | | hackles. A hackle is a bed of "nails"- |
| containers. This action is called | | | | sharp, long-tapered, tempered, polished |
| winnowing. The chaff will get caught in | | | | steel pins driven into wooden blocks at |
| the wind and blow away, while the seeds | | | | regular spacing. A good progression is |
| will fall straight down into the | | | | from 4 pins per square inch, to 12, to |
| container. A screen also works to filter | | | | 25 to 48 to 80. The first three will |
| out some of the chaff. | | | | remove the straw, and the last two will |
| Retting Retting is the process of | | | | split and polish the fibres. Some of the |
| rotting away the inner stalk, leaving | | | | finer stuff that comes off in the last |
| the outer fibres intact. A standing pool | | | | hackles can be carded like wool and |
| of water or a plastic trash can is | | | | spun. It will produce a coarser yarn |
| needed. Actually, any type of water | | | | than the fibres pulled through the |
| tight container of wood, concrete, | | | | heckles because it will still have some |
| earthenware or plastic will work. Metal | | | | straw in it. |
| will not work, as an acid is produced | | | | Spinning Depending on the preference of |
| when retting, and it would corrode the | | | | the spinner, flax can either be spun |
| metal. A tall plastic trash can with a | | | | from a distaff, or the spinner may |
| spigot at the bottom works well. Place | | | | simply lay flax fibres in their lap. It |
| as many bundles of flax in the trash can | | | | is recommended that the spinner keep |
| as will fit, and fill the trash can full | | | | their fingers wet when spinning, to |
| of warm water (80 degrees Fahrenheit is | | | | prevent forming a fuzzy thread, and that |
| best). It is suggested that a lid of | | | | the single be spun with an "S" twist. |
| some sort be put over the trash can in | | | | (See Ply above for details). From this |
| order to keep the flax submerged, | | | | point on much of the process is the same |
| conserve warmth and contain the stench. | | | | as that for wool. |
| After 4 hours a complete change of water | | | | Washing One of the few differences in |
| is recommended, and 8 hours after that | | | | between flax and wool once the fibre is |
| the scum should be washed off the top by | | | | ready for spinning is the washing |
| the addition of some more water. From | | | | process. After flax is spun it should be |
| then on the scum should be washed off | | | | let to sit in a pot of boiling water for |
| every 12 hours until the retting process | | | | a couple of hours to set the twist and |
| is over. | | | | reduce fuzziness. |
| If kept at 80 degrees, the retting | | | | |