Nettle threads

Noone could question the usefullness of the nettle. It was in our everyday lives, we wore the clothes weaved from nettle fabric, caught fish in nettle nets, sailed from Cymrian ports with nettle sails. This single plant was everything we needed. We lived our lives thanks to it.

— Savenian villager

Characteristics

Nettle threads are very similar to cotton when cleaned and left to dry. They are whitish cream in color and often very long - up to 50 cm. What makes them different from linen id their resistance to water and humidity, in general. One can not only turn them into threads and weave fabrics, but also prepare nets and sails. They last for vast amounts of time, when treated with care. Naturally prepared threads have little to no oils in them, so introduction of graese or grease-like substance works well for the overall strengths of the threads.

Varieties

Mountain stream nettle

Mountain stream nettle by Onkarphoto

Pure nettle is rarele used, unless good, straight varieties are found. Some of those include the Mountain streams nettle, which grows only near clean streams. It shows very good mechanical properties and the fibers can be as long as 1.5 m long. The habitat is very limited though, which makes the material quite expensive. The end result are rough threads, great for sails and ropes, but due to high price, they are used mainly by merchants and some local villagers. The first value it for durability which saved a lot of money over the years. The latter create ropes for mountain and tree climbing, traditionally passed to the grandchildren during their first hike.

Bog nettle

Bog nettles are darker and much more branched, which makes them difficult to process for long fibers, but make no mistake, they are much more resistant to humidity and mold then every average threads. They can withstand the time and nothing get wear them away for years. Even when processed to nets, submerged in water and left forgotten for years. On several occassions, villagers have found poaching nets for Félthiós - sea mushrooms, which the sea washed ashore. Those were blackish-green with seaweed growing long as the mushrooms themselves. Yet, when pulled out of the water and attempted to rip apart, they would remain intact. Such was the strength of the bog nettle.

Hill nettle

There is no other plant more robust than the hill nettle. These varieties could grow up to 2 m high and when cut fresh in spring, would grow back before the end of summer. Sometimes, when the years were generous, farmers would cut them in the middle of summer and later on in autumn. Each and every time, the plants would be left to dry out in the sun, until the leaves dry out and fall off. The stems were the only parts that mattered. Full of strong fiber, hill nettles were the easiest to color with natural dyes, especially with plant dyes. No other plant could out-do them in that matter, even linen which grew well but needed much more attention, as it was expected of it to grow straight. In contrast, nobody shared such expectations for the hill nettles.

Meadow nettle

Meadow nettles don't like too dry seasons and appreciate a varied habitat of wild herbs and flowers. They are very gentle and the stems and leaves have barely to none stingy needles. It makes them so much easier to handle but, sadly, also less valiable. Meadow nettles provide very delicate fibers, one worthy of gentle and cuddly fabrics, but not necesserilly one that could withstand the tough conditions of living side-to-side with nature. It would be sometimes reffered to as the Princess nettle, for its silky smooth touch and almost pearl-like glistening.

Type

Organic