MAKE YOUR FIRST NETTLE THREAD

All roads lead to Rome, and so is the process from plant to garment – ​​you always arrive at the finish line! But as with all traditional crafts, the method will be influenced by local traditions, weather conditions / climate and access to resources. According to Kari Marie Helland at Veien Museum, - the question is rather what you are going to use the thread for. The different methods require different amounts of time and give different results both in terms of appearance, properties and quantity.

Because you can make yourself freshly made thread – today, (depending on the season), or you can spend 2 years making the thread, and still be more time-efficient.

Foto: Fride Kramer Riseng (Min første brenneslesnor)

THE PRINCIPLE FOR MAKING THREAD FROM NETTLE, URTICA DIOICA

In the project From Plant to Garment I will learn the plantfiber method Kristine has learned, but I will also write a little about other methods. I learned to make nettle yarn from the Facebook group Nettles for Textiles, which also has its own website.

On both sites you will find lots of instructional videos, and the Facebook group has daily posts from people all over the world who have all been bitten by the nettle bacillus.

I have deviated from the method practiced here, but I think it is a good starting point if you have never made thread from nettle.

NETTLE > URTICA DIOICA

There are over 2600 species of nettle, divided into 53 genera. Among them is also the deadly stinging one(!), which thankfully is not found in this country. In the extended family you will find, among others, the relatives Soleirolia soleirolii), also known as Angel's Tears, Baby's Tears, Corsican Carpet, Irish Moss, Japanese Moss, Mind-Your-Own-Business, Paddys Wig, Peace-in-the-Home, Pollyanna Vine.

In Norway we make thread from Stinging Nettle, Urtica Dioica. I have also heard that you can make thread from Linesle Nettle (Urtica dioica subsp. sondenii), which does not burn, but I have not tried it. If you try, let me know how it goes!

The thread is made from the fibers, the "back muscles" in the stem. They are white and are wrapped in the green bark, or "skin", which is called lignin and binds water for the plant. 

The whole principle of making thread is to get rid of as much of the pectin as possible, so that you are left with just the fibers. The more lignin you remove, the whiter and finer the fiber you get. If you are left with a lot of pectin and bark, your yarn will be like green barbed wire! And this is where the magic really starts and where Kari Marie's question also becomes important; What are you going to use the thread for? Because that determines which methods you will use in the rest of the process. I will eventually delve into methods for removing the pectin through retting, a controlled decay process, or by using potash. Kristine will teach me how to work with the fibers in a method like hemp and flax.

GET STARTED WITH YOUR FIRST THREAD!

The thread, or cord, in the picture is my very first nettle. It was twisted between my fingers and most of the pectin was applied. As it has dried, it has taken on a somewhat more rustic appearance, but still feels just as nice and strong, despite having been camping in a sunny window for three years.

Gillian Edon has written the book ”From sting to spin”. Allan Brown and Sally Pointer have a number of instructional videos on Youtube, www.nettlefortextiles and on the Facebook group of the same name. These video clips are great to get you started if you've never made nettle string:

• Basic nettle string shows you the simplest method of making string. (The simplest would have been to rub the plant between your hands and use the entire stem as string).

• Nettle Fibre Processing illustrates how to scrape out the fibres

• Prehistoric Nettle Textiles, scraping and splicing, illustrates scraping and methods of twisting string.

Enjoy!