Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also has other distinctive characteristics, particularly its tendency to wrinkle. Linen textiles are among the the oldest in the world. Textiles in a linen weave texture, even when made of cotton, hemp, or other non-flax fibers, are also loosely referred to as "linen".
Fiber production
The flax fiber is harvested by pulling the entire plant out of the ground in order to maximize fiber length. After harvesting, the seeds are removed by brushing the flax through a "comb" of metal spikes called a ripple, which can be made by driving nails through a piece of wood[1]. The flax is then subjected to a retting process where microorganisms break down pectins to expose the fibre - either dew retting or water retting is used for linen[2]. Dew retting is heavily dependant on climate, but is useful when water availability is limited. It involves spreading the harvested linen in the field and leaving it to be exposed to the elements for 2-3 weeks until the fibre can be seperated. A quicker and often more controlled method is water retting, where bundles of flax are submerged, typically taking 1-2 weeks. It is effective in moving water such as a stream. After either method of retting, the fibers are dried.
See also
References
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