Over the Gate

Fey Dunnabitt · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 319 Location: France or Spain

Nettle fabric is making a return, which I think is great, and they're short of suppliers - anyone fancy becoming a grower? http://www.independent.co.uk/news...e/grasping-the-nettle-581740.html

dani · Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 133

I'm not surprised that they are having problems finding farmer to fill their fields with a crop of nettles. They probably think that it's April Fool's all over again :q28:

Gareth · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:23 pm Post subject:

Nettle fabric sheets are fabulous!

No I am not kidding, as I bought 2pairs when I was on business in Ireland back in 1996. Better than flax fibre linen, and almost as good as pure silk.

Easy to wash and iron, and oh so sensuous to sleep on.
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green man · Joined: 19 Jun 2007 Posts: 6656 Location: Herefordshire

Fey Dunnabitt · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 319 Location: France or Spain

Ooh, Gareth, d'you remember where you got them, or know where I can get some? I need a new sheet or two and would love to get nettle ones. I've been wanting to try starting a nettle-spinning and weaving project since about 1970, but other things keopt happening, so I'm glad someone's doing it at last. I was shocked by the facts about cotton, the amount of pesticides used. I knew it wasn't as "pure" or ecological as we used to believe, but I didn't know it was that bad.

Flax looks so pretty growing; nettles less so, but they bring butterflies.

If it weren't so complicated and expensive to be officially a farmer (or anything) in France, I could just fancy starting a nettle farm, selling nettle foods, fabrics and clothes.

Gareth · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:59 pm Post subject:

All I can remember about the shop, was that it was about halfway between Tipperary and Limerick. The only reason that I stopped there was because of the roadside Cafe. The shop next door sold Irish dancing shoes, clothing and apparell. A sign in the window saying Nettle sheets caught my eye, and I ended up buying 2 pairs (I even manged to slip them through on my petty cash by utilsing 3 or 4 days worth of $25 a day none reciptable expenses

).

I have had a google about, and have come up with this link;

http://www.swicofil.com/products/016nettle.html#Processability

hope it helps

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Fey Dunnabitt · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 319 Location: France or Spain

Thanks Gareth. I'll contact them.

LynneA · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:52 pm Post subject:

freckle · Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 2205 Location: East Yorkshire

Fey Dunnabitt · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 319 Location: France or Spain

Apparently, you need to grow a very tall variety. You can use ordinary ones, but there are varieties that are taller, so you get even longer fibres.

thewoollyshepherd · Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 166 Location: Blackdown hills

I actually sell nettle yarn!!! It is made from Nepalese nettles which are a lot taller than ours :smt103 However it is quite possible to use home grown. They need to be retted like flax and soaked.....very pongy!

Yarn is wonderful.............very hardwearing, the german army used to make uniforms from it in WW1
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Gareth · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:48 am Post subject:

Do you have to Scutch and hackle the nettles to obtan the fibres?

I saw a working demonstation of these being done to Flax last year.

Any chance of a nettle fibre photo "How to" please.

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Fey Dunnabitt · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 319 Location: France or Spain

thewoollyshepherd · Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 166 Location: Blackdown hills

Well Gareth......I can post a pic of the yarn but not how to do it as the stuff I get is from a permaculture project in Nepal!!
But basically I think they soak the nettles until soft and smelly then bash the stalks and release the fibres ..........there you are real techie i am not :

:

Click to see full size image
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Hawkeye · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:55 pm Post subject:

Nettles also make a very good liquid feed for tomatoes etc