"FROM PLANT TO GARMENT" - WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS

(The words apply to all plant fibers, discussed here with nettle in mind. NB! These are expressions that are new to me, often in dialect and in most cases very difficult to translate into English.)

Fiber Material that can be used to make thread where suitability is based on properties such as strength, elasticity, insulation, absorption and resistance. The nettle fiber lies as long "hairs", reinforcement, in the outer "skin" layer of the stem.

“Hesje” / to dry hay on a rack. Hanging the nettle bundles to dry outdoors. Can be done, for example, on ropes, over planks that you hang up or over a fence.

“Kjerv” / bundle. In the old days, it was a man's job to break the nettles. When dried, the nettle bundles should have the same circumference as the wrist of the person doing the breaking, - normally 40 plants per nettle. (But I will use 30)

“Bennild” / rope made from nettle stems during harvesting. The stems are twisted together as a rope and tied around the nettle bundle.

“Røyte” / ret. A controlled decay process in which one tries to make the internal cellulose so brittle that it is easily crushed during briquetting, and to separate the fiber from the cellulose. Also to decay the “plant material” around the fiber.

“Klubbe” / club. To hit the bundle so that the cellulose is crushed before the breaking.

“Bråke” / breaking bench.  Tool for crushing the wood inside the stems. To breake means to crush all the stems in the notch with the tool.

“Klammer” / “garm” / skaketre / scuching blade.  Tool for pulling loose the pieces of wood that are stuck to the fiber. Changes name and appearance geographically.

“Hekle” / Hekle. Tool for combing away pieces of wood from the fiber, and separating the tow from the long fiber. The design consists of a comb or brush with metal tines, where the size and spacing of the tines vary according to the degree of fineness. To briquetting means to comb the fiber with the briquetting tool.

“Karde / carder Tool normally used to comb wool before spinning. For nettle, the card is used primarily as a hook, where the small nettle, the "wool", can be carded. Can also be used as a nice hekle.

Long fiber The best fiber quality, the longest fiber. There is a greater difference between nettle fiber and fiber from hemp end flax, as the flax fiber is structured differently than nettle. Long fiber produces stronger, smoother and prettier thread and is divided into several qualities.

Stry / tow.  Cut of fiber. Was often used as a filler in furniture and harness (saddles) in the old days. Stry can also be hekled and carded into thread. In some countries, tow yarn is used for lace, and the thread can be surprisingly strong and fine. This is because the nettle fiber is structured completely differently than fiber from, for example, hemp and flax. I will write about this later.

The Norwegian expression that "Everything goes in tow" means that nothing will come of it, or one will get into trouble.

“Spinning” / Twisting the fiber into thread by twisting it between the fingers, on a stick, spinning hook, handrail or spinning wheel. (And eventually, on a machine!)

“Nettelduk” / nettle cloth textile made from nettle