A Comfort For The Trip
March 9, 2022
Ever since I was a little girl, I've wanted to make myself a garment of plant fiber that I grew, processed, spun, and wove myself. Comes from reading fairy-tales from a young age, I guess. Which is why it's always been nettles that I wanted to make it of. A robe of nettles would give me an unbroken connection to my family, traceable right back to the cave.
Peter Metevelis states here that around 27,000 -17,000 BC people turned to nettle fibers to create thread fine enough to make use of bone needles. Remnants of a burial shroud made of nettle cloth show that nettle was still being made into cloth in the 800's despite a thriving flax industry.
Nettles are as useful today as they were all those generations ago. They grow anywhere. They're enthusiastic. Some people pronounce that "invasive". The main care that they require is keeping them from taking over. You have been warned. That having been said, a stand of nettles near you is a real boon. They offer many benefits, including easily accessible fiber should you need or want it.
There are plenty of people who, for love of the craft, or the plant, or the concept, still spin fiber from nettles. Spinning enough thread to make a small project, a scarf perhaps, is really not all that difficult. Why not go ahead and give it a try? Here's a link to a site with clear instructions and here's a very nicely done video to start you out.
Nettles can be processed using the same tools that you would use for flax. A good look at the tools can be found here. There are also easier ways of processing it as shown in this video. By the way, be sure to browse through all the videos on Sally Pointer's YouTube channel while you're there. I can get lost watching them.
If you're going to work with such an ancient fiber, why not use an ancient method of spinning and weaving it? Here's a lovely website, full of beautiful pictures and much information on how they used a spindle and distaff to spin and a warp weighted loom to weave.
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A warp weighted "loom" is my preferred method of making smaller pieces of cloth. It appeals to my straightforward nature. I dislike anything fiddly. So I remove the curtains from a window and set up my warp on the curtain rod. I use bags of metal washers for the weights. Since you work from the top down, the beginning of the work is done from a step stool. Please be careful. Once you get to standing height it becomes easy. You could also find or place a bar at a less precarious height. I made the scarf at right in a window some years ago. Sadly, it isn't made of nettle fiber. I love it anyway.
If you'd like to make your own actual warp weighted loom, Sally Pointer has made this excellent video series.
The nettle plant has had our backs covered since before time was measured in anything but personal experience. Can you ask for more from a friend? Did I forget anything? Have you tried this? Or, like me, are you still preparing for the experience? Share your thoughts in the comments below. I would enjoy hearing from you. Thanks for stopping by!
