Nettles for Textiles!

[@bella-bee]

Best fibre develops after flowers appear (green tassels)

[@mov4949]

one traditional method to extract the fibres is to bundle them and soak in a bath and allow to start to rot. then the fibres will separate easily. you can then use the liquid as fertiliser.

[@nysaloudon311]

Note about this method, be careful about overrotting, nettle has less fibres in the stem than flax does and the fibre becomes weaker than flax does when exposed to too much retting. How he does it by "dew retting" is a gentler more controlled way to do this depending on your climate. A traditional technique called splicing uses the natural pectin in the green nettle to splice the end and tip together to create thread. The last few people in the world that do this splicing technique are the Ainu people in Japan. [I'm a textile archaeologist in the beginning of my career, it is so lovely to see these techniques being shown in this way for more people to relearn these old techniques. I love this topic and his fibres are lovely!]

[@Амин-т4х]

Um yeah it was in the video have you watched it

[@LinzieMCrofoot]

Here in Washington state USA my native ancestors would lay the nettles in a creek, weigh them down with rocks, and leave them there for about a week to ret before processing.

[@thegreenprofit6155]

There was no wasted second in this video, i really liked it!

[@CampfireKodiak]

This is the most amazing "How To" video I have watched in a very long time! I knew ancient man used nettles for fishing nets and cordage but had no idea they made clothing. Thank you!

[@mzdeeify]

I've Bern obsessed with nettles for years, I can't pass a plant without making cordage lol. Think I'm going to take it further and start spinning! !!

[@bellevans]

Please post a video on spinning!

[@vinodtheminimalist]

Hi , I m from India from Himalayan State called Uttarakhand .. I am experimenting on Neetles and thanks for sharing the process of extraction ..

[@LynxSouth]

Thank you, especially for the variety of samples at the end. There's a lot (relatively) about cordage but very little info about making cloth from wild-harvested plants.

[@velana_net]

Awesome! Yes, humankind must back to life basics. Very actual nowadays. Thanks for this vid.

[@marthaprince4404]

Thank you! This is an excellent video. I have nettles in abundance. I use the seeds for a boost, the leaves for crisps, and now I can try using the stems to make fibre and cloth 😄

[@gemcanyonproductions5660]

Leaves for a crisp? Is 5ha like a potato chip?

[@jake-rg3fd]

This video is excellent. Very well shot, and you obviously have a good depth of knowledge on this subject. I really enjoyed this.

[@adenmcisaac4920]

same thougts

[@maireadmcguinness4473]

super video! lovely to combine this knowledge with sally pointer's nettle processing wisdom!

[@EKA201-j7f]

Beautiful work. Very inspiring to see what can be done with natural fibers.

[@Javaman92]

This is the best video on the subject I've found. Thanks! I'm just starting my journey and I've lots to learn.

[@alanaparrycorbett9763]

This was such a great intro to the process! I am planning on adding nettles to my garden for medicinal and edible benefit, so I was so excited to learn that they can be used for fibres as well! Can’t wait to play with the process!

[@rachelwren-vipond6029]

I am a great fan of old craft and knowledge,, using everyday plants to make stuff, string and baskets etc...

[@TheCrepusculum]

It's been two weeks since you wrote the comment - it might not be too late if you have plans: there is still the possibility that the inner wood is gutted when fresh and the threads in the green coat are then dried. the processing is pretty much the same from then on, but getting started is easier. it's always nice to meet someone who is interested in old handcrafts - everyone just looks at me funny. Oh, and you can make bowstrings out of it - not the best, but it's definitely enough for sport shooting. Greetings from Austria

[@rachelwren-vipond854]

@@TheCrepusculum thanks I get funny looks too!

[@wishasmiler320]

Fantastic... Thank you very much for this video! Salutations from Norway 🇳🇴 💕

[@MiddleEastMilli]

Remarkable work you are doing and this was done so very well. Thank you for all your time and energy to share this.

[@AnimeShinigami13]

have you tried harvesting last year's nettle stems when the winter has dessicated them to nothing? I do that with milkweed plants here in America. the same basic process is viable for milkweed and its relative dogbane. dogbane produces an auburn color and milkweed produces a silvery one. a nearby park with a TON of milkweed produced a whole 1 gallon ziploc bag of fiber. mind you I can stuff more in. Just today I learned the name for this type of fiber, bast fiber is any fiber from the inner stems of a plant, the phloem layer.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

You should do a video on the processing of milkweed and dogbane fiber.

[@AnimeShinigami13]

@@gregorymalchuk272 i don't like seeing my face on camera. and my phone camera is all I had, but one of the two lenses is cracked and the selfie lens doesn't zoom in or out. so shitty quality or no zoom.

[@hertsengland]

This is the best video on nettle fibre that I have seen, thank you really helpful

[@mel-rookatyou]

What a beautiful video, thank you for taking the time and love.

[@l.c.8475]

I've been experimenting with dried nettles that I found standing in nettle patches in the forrest, because I'm too impatient to wait until August and they're currently still easy enough to pick, there's still lots of wood in the fibres I've extracted so far, but it seems like working with dried nettles has some potential.

[@Pipsqwak]

Thank you for this! Nettles are so useful! Love your dog, too, BTW.

[@collinblazer6427]

Amazing content, thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@TheGabygael]

me: i wish knew where to get not too expensive fibres to learn how to spin, and i don't know where to buy linnen fibres also me: *has a garden full of stiinging nettles*

[@deirdrebattista9510]

World of wool UK

[@MM-th4zu]

Thank you very much for this nice video! I just started weaving a few month ago and I have a forest of nettles in my garden. Now I know, what to do with all those nettles! Thank you!

[@jamtea388]

Appreciate the in depth process. I like the tip on stripping with a piece of leather.

[@LavenderLori406]

Wow, thank you Alan, I am inspired. Right now eating Nettle pesto on noodles.

[@Muffy.from-Oz]

I so wish I had some nettles to try this. I am so fascinated Thank you Muffy from Oz (Australia)

[@pelementmaker]

there is an article on the national institute of health on historical nettle fiber production, and acording to that article the method of nettle fiber production was very similar to hemp fibers, and funny how you stated the nettle ridges beeing weakpoints since theres a crude illustration showing gears used. with some time and lumber, could make handcranked double action gears with spacing enough for the seasons length to keep the fibers intact at the joints when using the contraption, just an idea.

[@violoneuxnobod6413]

It's awesome man ! Thank you for this incredible teaching

[@Skiamakhos]

You could probably save the leaves for soup or wine if you've got the gear and the time to make use.

[@nettlesilk8161]

Thanks so much for sharing this! Definitely relevant to my own interests ;)

[@wilda.9826]

I've been trying to find the right method for the last couple weeks. I'm going to try wet retting next and if that doesn't work I will try dry retting

[@IngeniousOutdoors]

I believe the word you are looking for that holds the plants together, that waxy bit, is called the Cuticle.

[@ofirshorshy8281]

amazing! This is the best I have seen for the prosses . thanks a lot . will learn & remember and teach on people to keep this knowledge alive.

[@crazylemontree1068]

Brilliant. I have learned a lot. You have made my research easy.

[@Kopiyapun]

Keep sharing good stuff like this. city people aren't aware of it neither I was. Thanks 👍

[@mmay4121]

Really enjoyed your lesson. I have so many nettles in my garden that I wanted to try this. Must have patience. Thank you

[@StarOnTheWater]

I wonder if you could just harvest the leftover stalks in autumn after flowering?

[@betula-pendula]

Thank you for the very interesting video. I like to see all those work and I hope, I can do this once too.

[@TheBigCastle9]

Thank you beautiful film is really inspiring. I live near Tagliamento river and i will try to do some fabric!

[@achimbaeppler1276]

Very inspiring. Thanks

[@sinicide1015]

You've probably already looked into it but maybe the traditional way to make linen is similar

[@nanaosco]

Thank you very much for sharing your knolodge!!! It is ibdeed a very good video

[@aldenheterodyne2833]

I harvested nettles for eating and was wondering what to do with the stems. I'll try it.

[@orangge386]

Wow! This is so nice to know, thank you!

[@cwgumby]

Fascinating

[@bella-bee]

Having stripped fresh nettles you can process them without retting by just scraping on a board with a dull edge, like a butter knife, gently on both sides. Dry them. Then rub as you do. The dryer scraped nettles can be stored will your ready to rub and use.

[@miri-1028]

This sounds really interesting. So you scrape the fresh nettle stems and then dry them? Do you pull them back and forth along the edge of the board to scrape them?

[@rachelwren-vipond854]

So many tips and wrinkles about nettle fibre, will try them, thanks

[@Mussinichka]

Mesmerising!🌿

[@stanislavaserafim7538]

Thank you so much , very helpful

[@christianandersen5521]

I am not as far as you but something funny happen to a few stems i left outside. Sails started to clean My fibers. Took all the green off also some of the clue. They made fibers for me. I wanna se If i can make them do it again.

[@rosemarywessel1294]

Such useful information! Thank you. Going to try it. BTW - love your dog. :)

[@anzerupnik1442]

Since you are not retting them in water, how about peeling the fibers off when nettles are still wet and retting just the outer layer?

[@elizabethcorven3599]

Thank you. Very helpful, useful and encouraging.

[@altonlg24]

Are there other plants that also aren't killed to get their fiber? From my understanding both hemp and flax are killed even before they have a chance to reproduce.

[@liliay.acosta3603]

Beautiful Thanks

[@wardostyn6669]

I'm wondering, does somebody know how many square meters of nettles you would need for a meter of yarn or a m² woven fabric? Thaks for the help :-)

[@roody71h]

this is amazing

[@churchether]

Do you spin the long fibers with the tow?

[@edwards1148]

What a fantastic video

[@pattyjordan7620]

I used to spin wool but gave it up when I became vegan. I was just about to sell my wheel and then I saw this video. I'm definitely not selling it now! Thanks for the inspiration.

[@mov4949]

shearing the wool actually is beneficial to the sheep. todays sheep suffer from fly strike and other parasites if they are not shorn.

[@pattyjordan7620]

@@mov4949 Modern day sheep are a man-made invention. We should stop breeding them altogether.

[@micsomers]

Why would someone whos vegan not use wool?

[@pattyjordan7620]

@@micsomers Veganism isn't a diet. It's an ethical philosophy that animals aren't ours to exploit. We don't intentionally consume or use anything from animals.

[@bearhugzfam649]

@@micsomers there's different types of vegans, but for most it's a philosophy about not exploiting animals so even stuff that's a natural byproduct or waste to an animal is typically not used. I was vegan for a few years and there's a lot of great thoughts in there about how we treat the natural world, honestly the only reason I moved away from strict veganism is because a) such a loud portion of the vegan community is the PETA Vegans (you know, straight up just lying to vilify non-vegan stuff, like the rape rack bs or the claims that nose tags for calves are to starve them) and b) it's often short sighted. For instance most vegans would eschew the idea of using eggs and feathers from pet former-battery hens, but have no problem shipping cashew nuts (which famously exploit and harm human workers) half way around the world. I mean point in case, anyone with a cell phone is benefitting from some of the world's worst human exploitation. Anywhoo, yeah, vegans generally don't use any animal products. There are others who follow the vegan diet which is more about food and less about philosophy, but they typically go together.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

Watching “The Wild Swans” brought me here!

[@TomRiddleMeThisSpock]

Anyone know if this will help with bullnettle?

[@arenzejeanette1120]

Didn't u say there was mold on those? Don't put it in ur mouth!! I already have the vomity hopity and I still don't know from where 🤢 awesome video - we got so many so I thought of giving it a go 👍🏼👍🏼

[@addictiveillusions5667]

Very enjoyable

[@memes_haram]

Pangaia and Banana republic have selvedge jeans that use this material

[@pf961]

cool

[@ojaswiparajuli4328]

6:43

[@carolschedler3832]

❤

[@bearhugzfam649]

Great vid, I'm about to go wage war on the nettles taking over my garden and wanted to do something with them, now I know what!

[@BlueMoonShelly]

💜☮️✨

[@เคโมบายตาคลี-น2ค]

เหมือนประเทศไทยเลย

[@nilkanthmeshram298]

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