All about nettle yarn

Every person is familiar with such a plant as nettle. It is popularly considered a weed, but a useful weed, since it is used to make fertilizers for cultivated plants. However, few people know that yarn is also made from certain types of nettle. All needlewomen should learn about the features of this variety.

Nettle yarn is far from a novelty, as it has been produced for more than 5 thousand years. Initially, such yarn was made in Asian countries, but today the technology has spread throughout the world. Hollow plant stems are used for production. Despite its name, nettle strings are not at all prickly. It is even softer than linen, so it will be nice to wear clothes made of it.

Products made from such threads conduct heat well, so that the clothes will not be cold in winter and not hot in summer. Yarn, if bought ready-made, is quite cheap. And with the proper skill, you can make it yourself. The yarn manufacturing process is highly environmentally friendly.

Clothes from nettle yarn were made for a very long time. In Russia, special thin fibers were made, they were called tows. Then canvases were prepared from tows, which were used for the production of dresses, bed linen, and shirts. Clothes made of nettles were worn by the soldiers of Napoleon's army, German soldiers.

A few years ago, one of the most famous Italian fashion houses launched a series of garments made from stinging nettle, and it was a stunning success. Those who wore them noted that the clothing is hypoallergenic, it relieves attacks of rheumatism. And completely thornless, because during the production process, tailors remove all stinging hairs.

You can knit many beautiful things yourself from nettle yarn. So, sock yarn is perfect for knitting. It can be used to make incredibly warm and cozy socks for the winter. They will be a particularly valuable gift for people with joint diseases. And also from nettle threads knit sets for the winter, consisting of a hat, scarf, mittens. Thanks to the huge color palette, you can knit a set that fits any outerwear.

Besides, it will be easy for experienced craftswomen to make a sweater or cardigan, a light cape from yarn. Home slippers and small shawls are knitted from it. With the proper skill, you can even try to make a beautiful sweater or mini-skirt from this material. It is also used in the manufacture of home textiles, for example, chair covers or small decorative pillows.

It should be said right away that the process of making yarn with your own hands is very laborious, so it is not at all popular. Nevertheless, it is worth familiarizing yourself with it. The first stage is the collection of raw materials, and if done incorrectly, the yarn will not work. It is best to go for nettles in early March. At this time, the plant is brown. You need to cut the weed right at the base, then cut off the top and small branches. This is followed by the drying process. The floor is covered with dry towels or paper, it is better if this is a place not far from the battery. Then they wait until the grass is completely dry. Readiness indicator is a slight crackle of the stems. In this case, the fibers should come off without problems.

When the trust (dried plants) is ready, they begin to knead it. This should be done in special mills, which you can buy or make yourself. However, some craftswomen can do without them, simply folding the raw materials into bags and kneading them by hand. The purpose of the procedure is to separate the fibers from other parts.

After this stage is completed, the next one begins - fluttering. This will require a special item, which is called just that - ruffled. It resembles a long knife in shape and is made of wood. First, the fibers are knocked out by weight, and then they are laid on a hard surface and processed with a ruffle already there. Then you need to knead everything with your hands again so that the small particles holding the fibers fall off.

The next step is sniffing. It involves rubbing the fibers between the fingers. Thanks to the procedure, they are cleansed, getting rid of all unnecessary, become silky. The resulting threads are combed and smoothed.

Of course, nettle yarn is much easier to buy than to make your own. Those who have already tried it leave various reviews on the sites. So, the craftswomen note that the threads are dense, beautiful, shiny and soft. The knitted garments are very durable, provided they are properly cared for. The variety of colors is very large, so it is quite possible to find something to your taste. The yarn is produced in skeins of different weights, basically one skein weighs 50 grams and has 250 meters of thread. The needlewomen point out that the knitting process is complicated, and the purchased yarn is not always enough, so you need to purchase it with a margin.

You can knit both with knitting needles and crochet, but their sizes will have to be determined experimentally. In addition to the knitting itself, the reviews also tell about the features of caring for products from nettle yarn.The hostesses also determined this by their own experiments. So, they argue that machine wash is acceptable, but it is better not to set the temperature above 40 degrees. Drying should be natural and should not be ironed. The disadvantage of products made from the described yarn is that after drying, spools appear on them, which have to be removed manually. In addition, the craftswomen do not like the excessive hairiness of the products.