linen

I love this plant;  FLAX!   I became interested in it for mulch for weed control.  I am always looking for cover crops;  mulches;  anything to help with my blueberries!    I think I did research on it 10 years ago but reading about it being pulled and was hard on cutting equipment, it turned me away!  But a couple of years ago I re-visited growing it!  the increase awareness of how it was such a great health benefit was really awesome and that same year, I attended a meeting that taproot farms had.  I didn't know a lot about it at that point but always interested in learning!  Especially growing!  They gave me 3 varieties of the fiber flax to try to grow and I followed up that year going to help them pull some of their crop. 

It was a great learning experience to see such a difference in the growth of the plants from the valley to what we have!  I still wasn't entertaining the idea of fiber for textile!  At the meeting, They had samples, information, and a lady that was just awesome that could spin and weave!  But wasn't interested in more crafts!  Because paper clutter was my passion!  I didn't have time....space or money to get into anything else! 

Well little did I know how this journey would change!

I was involved in our community museum for many many years!  It was my passion too!  But with times and economy, we closed our doors.  It was very sad!  Many years passed and our collection was moved to another museum!  It was a mix of emotions!  Anyway, my friend and I took a day trip that summer to the museum to see the display!  It was on a demo day!  A weaving demo day!  Well....I was still telling myself , "NO you don't have time!"  The lady that was doing the demonstration was really kind and knowledgable and told us about her lessons at her studio and the price point!  My friend was interested and the price point was doable!  I was just going to support my friend!  Yeah right!  So this was a Monday!  24 hrs later I had myself a 4 shaft loom! 

Then last year I found some flax in the blueberries and broke it!  It was a wow!  To have the fibers be exposed in your hand....to read about it and know about it but to actually feel it and see it happen was really something!  so, of course, I pushed on for more info and "wants"!  I wanted to learn to spin!  I took a lesson,  I gathered more information and experiences but still don't have a spinning wheel!  I would like one....but then that will open another whole kettle of worms!  then I would want to dye and really.....how many hours are in a day?  And added to this....my 2018 growing year of flax was a fail!  I was so disappointed!

So last week I started this 100% linen project!  This isn't at a price point that I'm really comfortable with!  This is/ will be a very expensive piece of fabric!

I'm at a stand still now, ran out of the white euroflax 100% wet spun linen #2 sport weight made by louet!

the warp is 100% linen too;  natural and mint green.  it's only 2 ply as the weft is 4 ply. 

My sette is about 15....and has spaces!  Not a professional here!  :(
but it does add texture.  I'm just doing a twill weave;  nothing fancy.  weaving draft was the same as the cotton scarf posted earlier.  But I didn't weave it in the sequence;  I am just doing 1/2; 2/3; 3/4; 4/1.  repeat.
tension has been an issue;  so I have a sprayer with water handy!

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