Nettle is a valuable fibrous plant that has provided people with quality raw materials for the manufacture of durable ropes and all kinds of fabrics from time immemorial. Nettle yarn is characterized by high wear resistance and healing properties.
Nettle - a plant so unloved by children and gardeners, called a "weed", in fact, is a valuable source of not only medicinal and cosmetic raw materials, but also the basis for obtaining durable, environmentally friendly yarn. Nettle thread allows you to get a solid, very warm and healing in its qualities canvas.
Harvesting nettles
The best raw material for nettle filaments is plants harvested in early spring or late winter. During this time, nature has done part of the important work: it dried the stems, patted them with the winds, and hardened them with frost. The nettle is cut at the base, the top and small branches are separated, and then carefully dried at home. A properly dried plant should crackle when broken, and the fibers should easily separate from the hard parts of the stem.
Raw material processing
In a well-ventilated room or outdoors, it is necessary to knead well, break the dried stems to free the fibers from all excess. During work, a lot of dust and small waste is generated, therefore it is undesirable to engage in crumpling in a city apartment. Manual chopping of the stems can be done by first folding the nettles into linen bags or bags - this precaution reduces the amount of dust in the air.
To facilitate the process, you can use mechanical devices: rollers for wringing out linen from Soviet washing machines; handicraft mills, which are a wooden base with two side walls, on the cutouts of which nettle stalks are laid and kneaded using a lever attached to the crush. As a result of the work, soft, strong nettle fibers should be formed.
Cleaning the fibers from small fragments of stems is achieved by scuttling - the resulting nettle mass is knocked out with a smooth stick, first on the weight, then - putting it on a flat surface and applying strong blows. After such treatment, the resulting lump must be thoroughly shaken out and kneaded in your hands to remove particles that hold the fibers together. A bunch of crumpled nettles is pinched with your fingers and begin to rub as when washing clothes - after this procedure, the thread blanks should become clean, silky and soft.
With the help of combs, the future yarn is carefully combed and sorted by length into short, medium and long fibers. For the manufacture of nettle thread, only long blanks, called tow, are suitable, all the rest are used for the manufacture of non-woven products.
Thread making
To form a thread, it is convenient to hold the tow with your left hand, and with your right hand, pull out individual fibers and, twisting them in one direction, wind the resulting thread on any object that replaces the spindle: a smooth stick, a pencil, a felt-tip pen. In order for the thread to form better, it is recommended to keep a vessel of water close at hand to wet the fingers during work.
