Nettle Fibre Workshop: From Sting to Spin

Drying my ribbons

 Last December I came across a local nettle fibre workshop online.  Something in my heart demanded I attend so I was very disappointed to find it was already fully booked.  I put my name on the waiting list and was rewarded earlier this year by them adding another date to the list.  Hooray!

So today I went to the Weald & Downland Museum to find out how to make nettles into a usable fibre.

Cordage from my ribbons

 

The lovely Brigitte and Martin welcomed us and we were soon heading out into the beautiful grounds of the museum to find outselves some nettles.  We wanted a stalk that was as tall as me and about 1cm wide at the base.  We stripped the leaves and seed and left them to go back into the soil, and rubbed the stalk (wearing gloves) to take off the stinging hairs.

Cordage from prepared ribbons

Back to base and Brigitte showed us how to split the stem open and to remove the woody inner leaving us with the fiber we would be using.  We ended up with green 'ribbons' which we allowed to dry while we had a break.

She then showed us how to split the ribbon into lengths to then twist to make cordage.  We made 2 ply, but it can be twisted together to make anything up to 16 ply!  Depending on what you want to do with it.

Getting ready to make fibre

 

I was very impressed with this.  It was even better then we used some of her dried and properly processed fibre.  I would have been happy if we had stopped at this point.  But there was more.

After lunch she showed us how to make fibres to spin with.  You have to process the nettle stalk a little more to do this (a 10 day or so process) so she had come prepared with ready to work stems for us.

Combing

Once again we stripped away the woody inner before using a blunt knife to remove the bast and chaff.  This is a slow process, but as we worked we ended up with curles of what looked like hair.  It was soft and golden and once combed could be spun.

As we worked we collected the soft fibres that came away and after tea and cake Brigitte then showed us how to comb and spin them.

Nettle fibre

I found this the hardest part, probably because I started with everything in the wrong hands, but once I'd got my head round it, it was a lovely process.  This was 1 ply and would need to be twisted with another strand to make 2 ply or more that could then be used for weaving or knitting.

You can also use this fluff for needle felting, although it doesn't work for wet felting.

Nettle fibre hand spun

Lastly she showed us the process for doing the same with flax.  This time we only had to rub the stalks to have fibres that would only need a light combing to be ready to spin with.  After all the work with the nettles it was quite amazing.

It was a brilliant day and now my head is full of possibilities as it always is after a workshop.  The woodland behind our house is full of nettles so sourcing them won't be a problem, but do I really have time to process them once I have them?  (now's the time to forage them, and they can sit and dry till I am ready, but if I wait I'll have to wait till next July!)

Flax fibre

Or do I just grow some flax next year in the garden?  I love the idea of having my own sustainable yarn and cord to use as I want.  I also love the idea of keeping old crafts alive.  So much to think about.