hemp-cloth-msg - 1/26/08
Cloth and clothing made with hemp fibers.
NOTE: See also the files: hemp-msg, textiles-msg, cotton-art, cotton-msg, silk-msg, weaving-msg, ships-msg, linen-msg.
************************************************************************
NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************
From: kolsoft at inlink.com (kolsoft)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Fabric made from hemp?
Date: 17 Nov 1995 21:21:31 GMT
kbystrom at u.washington.edu says...
>Sorry about this, but I'm rather terribly fabric-impaired...
>
>What kind of fabric is made from hemp? Is it normally difficult to find
>this fabric? Would it be considered desirable for garb?
>
>The reason I ask is that a store that sells products made from hemp has
>opened a branch in my neighborhood recently. I haven't had a chance to
>check it out yet, but it looks like it might carry fabric. If this fabric
>is normally hard to find, I may have just found a source of Christmas
>presents....
>
>Thanks.
>
>-Karl Bystrom
> Karl the Silent
>
Hempen fabrics can be pretty hard to find. The Ohio Hempery does sell
various hemp blends, and touts them as being incredibly durable. Of
course, they all come in this boring tan color, so you have to dye them
yourself. It's expensive as all get-out ($15-20/yard), but if it's as
tough as they say it is, then it might be worth the investment. If
this store does sell fabric, go and take a look at it. Rub it, smell
it, fell the texture on your skin. Is this something you'd want to
wear all day? If it is, then by all means buy it. But seeing as how
it is so expensive, DON'T give it to a novice!
As far as types of fabrics go, I refer again to the Ohio Hempery, which
makes everything to 100% hemp canvas to a hemp/silk blend. A lot of
their stuff is a hemp/cotton denim. Again, if you can get the fabric,
feel it. If you like it, buy it. I'm no expert, but I've been known
not to buy some perfectly good cloths just because I didn't like the
texture.
From: mholl at aol.com (MHoll)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Fabric made from hemp?
Date: 17 Nov 1995 23:36:58 -0500
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Greetings!
I don't know how old the technique to make hemp cloth may be, but my
grandmother (in southern Russia) used to make cloth from hemp, and she did
it pretty much by hand. I have a couple of towels she made a long time
ago. It does look and feel like linen, it's nicely absorbent, and after a
number of washings, it's quite soft.
Predslava Vydrina
Bjornsborg, Ansteorra
From: mulvanem at fp.co.nz (Maggie Mulvaney)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Fabric made from hemp?
Date: 18 Nov 1995 10:07:23 GMT
Organization: Fisher & Paykel Limited.
Greetings, good gentles on this bridge.
Karl-Erik Bystrom <kbystrom at u.washington.edu> wrote:
>
>What kind of fabric is made from hemp? Is it normally difficult to find
>this fabric? Would it be considered desirable for garb?
Well, here in the southern most reaches of Caid, you can purchase cloth
made from hemp. Comes in different weights, and is very nice. Looks awfully
like cotton, in fact.
Oh, and while there are indeed plantations of those particular little plants
scattered around our islands, the cloth is legitimately made from a
variety without the 'happy' ingredient... So don't smoke your shirt.
In service, always... :)
Muireann ingen Eoghain
Resident of Ildhafn, Southern Reaches of Caid
From: kellogg at rohan.sdsu.edu (C. Kevin Kellogg)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Fabric made from hemp?
Date: 20 Nov 1995 18:36:14 GMT
Organization: San Diego State University
Maggie Mulvaney (mulvanem at fp.co.nz) wrote:
: Karl-Erik Bystrom <kbystrom at u.washington.edu> wrote:
: >
: >What kind of fabric is made from hemp? Is it normally difficult to find
: >this fabric? Would it be considered desirable for garb?
: Well, here in the southern most reaches of Caid, you can purchase cloth
: made from hemp. Comes in different weights, and is very nice. Looks awfully
: like cotton, in fact.
A list of legal hemp product importers for the US can be found
at <URL: http://smith2.sewanee.edu/gsmith/Karl/HEMP/Companies.html>;.
Avenel Kellough
From: Corbie <corbie at radix.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Fabric made from hemp?
Date: 19 Nov 1995 00:35:20 GMT
Organization: radix.net
The book "Women's Work: The First 20,000 years" (about textiles and
fabric design) talks about hempen fibers in early Europe. Nettle fibers
apparently were once used.
The author is Elizabeth Wayland Barber; ISBN 0-393-03506-9.
-- Corbie
From: mulvanem at fp.co.nz (Maggie Mulvaney)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Fabric made from hemp?
Date: 23 Nov 1995 19:49:51 GMT
Organization: Fisher & Paykel Limited.
Greetings on the bridge!
Corbie (corbie at radix.net) wrote:
: The book "Women's Work: The First 20,000 years" (about textiles and
: fabric design) talks about hempen fibers in early Europe. Nettle fibers
: apparently were once used.
Not just once. Nettle fibers (very similar to flax, but shorter, and therefore
the thread spun needs to be thicker) are what make up Ramie. These days much
of the Ramie sold in shops are either cotton/linen blends, or made from wood
fibre, but you can get it. I just bought 8 metres at Ildhafn's favourite
fabric store...
Oh, and when I say the thread needs to be thicker, that is a very misleading
statement, linen thread can be spun much thinner than what we normally get, so
the Ramie just looks like linen, really. A little different in feel, but no
great difference.
And no doubt those more knowledgeable than me will fill you in on the details.
Cheers
Muireann ingen Eoghain
Resident of Ildhafn, in the most fair Southern Reaches of Caid
From: mulvanem at fp.co.nz (Maggie Mulvaney)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Fabric made from hemp?
Date: 26 Nov 1995 21:49:59 GMT
Organization: Fisher & Paykel Limited.
Honour Horne-Jaruk (una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org) wrote:
In response to me, stating that ramie might be made from wood...
: When I lived in Japan, Ramie was still being made from the fibres of
: a tropical plant.
Hmm. Could you tell me what it looked like? The information I was given was
that the Ramie made in the 'far east' (actually north, for me :) ), was made
from a local plant, tree like. I certainly do not doubt you - my information
was third hand, and I had never heard of Ramie _not_ made from nettle.
Indeed, as a child growing up in the Southern part of Sweden, I remember
watching a living-museum demo of making nettle-cloth, and I vividly remember
it as greyer than 'raw' linen, and shinier. It was lovely bleached, with a
lustre reminiscent of pearls.
This fact is what leads me to suspect the ramie I've just bought, since it
lacks that shine. But it still looks very much like linen, and drapes rather
nicely.
In the meantime, my mother is busy getting me hand-spun, hand-woven linen from
Lithuania... :)
Cheers
Muireann ingen Eoghain
Resident of Ildhafn, in the far Southern Reaches of Caid
From: priest at vassar.edu (Carolyn Priest-Dorman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Fabric made from hemp?
Date: 18 Nov 1995 21:54:29 GMT
Organization: Vassar College
Greeting from Thora Sharptooth!
Aithne (hensley at lims1.lanl.gov) wrote:
>> What kind of fabric is made from hemp? Is it normally difficult to find
>> this fabric? Would it be considered desirable for garb?
>
>I believe I have read that the technology to spin hemp into a soft,
>pliable thread/yarn is recent, so it isn't really period except for
>a fabric like that used in old burlap bags.
Along with linen and nettle fabrics, several hempen textiles have been
excavated in Viking archaeological contexts. The one I remember best is the
lady from mid-tenth century Birka (Grave 837) who was buried in a green repp
wool caftan lined with hempen cloth and trimmed with silk samite. Another
Birka lady, from the early ninth century (Grave 619), was buried in a
garment that included a strip of beaver fur trimming that was lined with
another hempen cloth.
As for texture, these Birka hemp fabrics are at the high-quality side of the
range of fineness for linen fabrics at the same site in the same periods.
They are emphatically not burlap: both the cloths mentioned above were
about the same fineness as silk noil in their thread counts (15x15 and 20x20
per centimeter, compared with 20x20 per centimeter for the last piece of
good-quality silk noil I counted).
Like linen, hemp is hard to dye with most of the Viking Age dyes. Very
probably, it was usually used like linen: either undyed or dyed blue with
woad. (One of the other hemp textiles from Birka was dyed dark blue.)
I myself would treasure a hemp garment--for its authenticity as well as its
modern rarity.
*************************************************************************
Carolyn Priest-Dorman Thora Sharptooth
Poughkeepsie, NY Frosted Hills ("where's that?")
priest at vassar.edu East Kingdom
Gules, three square weaver's tablets in bend Or
*************************************************************************
From: powers at colon.cis.ohio-state.edu (william thomas powers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: hemp leaves /was serf's clothing
Date: 26 Nov 1996 18:22:44 -0500
Organization: The Ohio State University, Department of Computer and Information Science
The Ohio Hempery, 7002 State Route 329, Guysville, OH 45735, sells
9 types of hemp textiles ranging from hemp/silk blends to 100% hemp twill
to 100% hemp canvas. They also sell sliver, tow, yarns and twines.
info line 614-662-4367, e-mail: hempery at hempery.com
I have no connection to them save a friend who gets their catalog; but
daydream about hemp blacksmithing garb; (unfortunatly it would be several
times as expensive as making it out of silk...)
wilelm the smith
From: kellogg at rohan.sdsu.edu (C. Kevin Kellogg)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Hemp-canvas Pavillions anyone?
Date: 30 Nov 1995 19:14:17 GMT
Organization: San Diego State University
Dorothy J Heydt (djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu) wrote:
: Sir James, if you could get maybe a square yard or less of hemp
: canvas as a sample, we could try waterproofing it with beeswax
: and see how fire-resistant it is or isn't.
If you write to Hemp Traders at 2130 Colby Ave. #1, Los Angeles,
CA. 90025. or e-mail them at hemptrader at aol.com, they will send you a
catalog and a pile of samples from all thier fabrics, including a number
of different weights of canvas. The samples are about 1.5" to 2" square.
Avenel Kellough
From: Cynthia Virtue <cvirtue at well.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: hemp leaves / another fabric source
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 1996 18:56:45 -0800
William Thomas Powers posted a source for hemp cloth; I have another:
Thai Silks aka Exotic Silks, known to many costumers as a mail order
house for good quality, low price silk. I saw hemp in their store this
weekend; several muted colors, at prices similar to linen (I think they
were under $10/yard, but not being in the market for hemp/linen, did not
mark the price.)
If you'd like contact info and are not local to the SF penninsula, drop
me an email and I will email privately.
---
Lady Cynthia du Pre Argent, Minister of Silly Hats, Crosston
From: pts21 at aol.com (PTS21)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: What hemp is and isn't- and is and isn't good for.
Date: 23 Dec 1996 06:22:43 GMT
Truth to tell, I know absolutely nothing about the legality of growing
hemp in the US, but it must be available somehow as my local textile
supply store carries a very nice hemp/wool blended roving for spinning.
This is particularly nice for me as I have just come across some
interesting research that has lower class Euopean clothing being made
primarily of hemp throughout most of the time period covered by the SCA.
Apparently, it wears like steel. Any body got anything more on this?
Cori
pts21 at aol.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: What hemp is good for, and a new fact about Nettlecloth
From: una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org (Honour Horne-Jaruk)
Date: Fri, 27 Dec 96 22:43:28 EST
pts21 at aol.com (PTS21) writes:
> Truth to tell, I know absolutely nothing about the legality of growing
> hemp in the US, but it must be available somehow as my local textile
> supply store carries a very nice hemp/wool blended roving for spinning.
> This is particularly nice for me as I have just come across some
> interesting research that has lower class Euopean clothing being made
> primarily of hemp throughout most of the time period covered by the SCA.
> Apparently, it wears like steel. Any body got anything more on this?
> Cori
> pts21 at aol.com
Respected friend:
Absolutely true on the second and third sentences. As for the first,
unfortunately, it's an extremely unlikely combination for a period spinner
to use; even the poorest of the poor used the two fibers seperately; they
were simply too different in character to make a useful mix.
For modern purposes, they make "A challenging mix with interesting
textural variations. Dry-cleaning only." Translation for SCA uses:
It's a fiend to spin and the result is a lumpy, snarly, unwashable
mess.
If they can get the blend, they probably can special-order pure
hemp-fiber strick or roving. I really, really, _really_ suggest you hold
out for that.
(Interesting new info I just found in one of my textiles class
textbook: Ramie is made from a tropical nettle but is almost indistinguishable
from Scottish nettlecloth (same cell structure in the fiber, for instance).
It also, it turns out, is _seven times stronger than linenwhen wet_...
Guess I understand now why linen and cotton took so long to oust
nettlecloth from the Scottish Highlands! }:->
Alizaunde, Demoiselle de Bregeuf
Una Wicca (That Pict)
(Friend) Honour Horne-Jaruk, R.S.F.
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 17:56:17 -0700 (MST)
To: markh at risc.sps.mot.com (Mark S. Harris)
From: mtnmama at rmi.net (sheila mclemore)
Subject: New source for hemp fabric
Greetings, Mark --
Reference your previous request for hemp, I have located
a new source with several hemp or hemp blend fabrics.
>I would be interested in finding out about the hemp cloth you have for
>sale. I once considered it for my tent. But the price was too much
>higher for the large amount of material I needed to be able to do that.
>However, it might consider it again for some clothing.
>Stefan li Rous
>markh at risc.sps.mot.com
These are all in natural hemp color, with the Three Way
Blend appearing almost white. To make your cutting and
sewing easier, these hemp fabrics are finished with a
natural potato starch sizing which will rinse out in the
first washing. The fabrics have been pre-washed and are
rolled, ready for your cutting table.
Hemp Herringbone Weave, #PI-H31, 100% Hemp, 12.5 ounce,
59" wide. This fabric is woven in a traditional tight
"V" pattern using alternating light and dark 10% hemp
yarns. A beauty to behold -- and ideal for upholstery,
home furnishings, window treatments, and heavier apparel.
$22.00 per yard up to 19 yards, $18.00 for 20-65 yards.
Hemp Twill, #IP-H1, 100% Hemp, 59" wide, 12 ounce, true
"bull" denim. This fabric has an unbelkivable softness
of hand, yet is literally as tough as nails. The
applications for apparel, accesories, or what-have-you are
limited only by your imagination and creativity. $20 per
yard up to 19 yards, $16.00 for 20 - 65 yards.
Hemp Canvas, #IP-H51, 100% Hemp, 60" wide, 12 ounce. It's
canvas, so you can treat it roughly. Tent, tipi, and tarp
makers have used this stuff. Provides dimensional stability
where needed. It's soft canvas, so you can treat it gently
in shorts, hats, bags, chairs. Strong and durable enough to
last several lifetimes. Easily workable, dyeable, treatable.
$20.00 per yard for up to 19 yards, $16.00 for 20 - 65 yards.
Cotton Denim Twill, 55% Hemp/45% Cotton, 11 ounce, 59" wide.
A rugged yet refined jeans material. Provides buttery softness
and durability in an economical, high-quality blend. Perfect
for jeans, shorts, skirts, shirts, jackets, hats -- or whatever
you please. The 11 ounce weight will easily outperform 14-ounce
cotton denim. $12.00 per yard up to 19 yards, and $9.00 per
yard for 20 - 109 yards.
Muslin Blend, 5 ounce, #PI-HC2, 55% Hemp/45% Cotton, 59" wide,
natural color. This 5-ounce cloth has an extremely tight weave
and dyes well. It's ideal for curtains, shirting, and backing
and is extremely utilitarian. Our least expensive cloth.
$12.00 per yard, less for quantities of 11 - 50 yards, and
51-109 yards.
Summercloth, 8 ounce, #PI-H2, 100% Hemp, 58/59" wide, linen
in appearance. Probably the most versatile of all of our weaves.
We've seen everything from slacks to shirts to jackets to home
furnishings quite successfully fashioned from this cloth. The
apearance provides an individual, almost handmade look to any
application. Hemp fabrics continually soften with use and
laundering. $15.00 per yard, less for quantities of 20 - 50
yards, and 51 - 109 yards.
Silk Intersecting Weave, #PI-HS1, 57" wide, 60% Hemp/40% Silk
(hemp/silk warp x hemp weft), 2.6 ounces of gossamer delight.
This weave dyes, prints or paints very readily--and provides
and unbelievable texture with this cellulose/protein blend.
$20.00 per yard, less for quantities of 11 - 50 yards, and
for 51-439 yards.
Three-Way Blend, #PI-HCS, 59" wide, 5.5 ounces, 50% Hemp/
43.5% Viscose/6.5% Silk. The viscose (environmentally
processed natural rayon) provides less shrinkage and gives
greater dimensional stability to the weave. Viscose also
adds luxurious softness in hand. This cloth contains a
pearl glow that emanates from deep within, and is ideal
for shirting, skirting and table linens. It's easily dyed,
printed, or painted. $16.00 per yard, less for quantities
of 20 - 99 yards, and for 100-164 yards.
Intersecting Calico Weave, #PI-HCC, 56% Hemp/44% Viscose,
59" wide, 5.5 ounce mid-weight cloth ideal for shirting,
skirting, and table linens. An interesting rendition of
a flax linen-like texture with long-fiber hemp unobtrusive
slubs -- almost an oxford cloth with more character.
$16.00 per yard, less for 20 - 99 yards, and for 100 - 164
yards.
=============================================================
My earlier response to you:
The 100% hemp fabric that I have is very similar to a linen
suit weight, and is a strong, reliable, fine fabric.
Black 42" wide $17.90
Six new colors 55" wide $20.70
The six new colors are colors are:
Ivory
Charcoal
Maroon
Chestnut
Straw
Mushroom
I also pay the shipping costs on orders totalling $100 or more
to addresses within the continental U.S.
===============================================================
Swatches (2.5" square) are available for fifty cents each. Let
me know if you would like an order form E-Mailed to you.
Sheila McLemore
McLemore Interiors
119 Tower Place
Ridgway, Colorado 81432-9443
Phone/Fax: (970) 626-4213
E-Mail: mtnmama at rmi.net
From: dickeney at access4.digex.net (Dick Eney)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: CLOTHING INQUIRY FOR HEMP MATERIAL
Date: 4 Mar 1997 23:23:23 -0500
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
MAL1234 <mal1234 at aol.com> wrote:
>I'm wondering if anyone knows where or who may be selling hemp material by
>the yard. Someone in our Barony is looking for such material and has
>mentioned that it's the closest material to period clothing during the
>Hundred Year's War era.
<snip>
>Roland the Relentless
I have bought hemp fabric from McLemore Interiors, 119 Tower Place,
Ridgway, CO 81432-9443 Phone/Fax (970) 626-4213
Email: <mtnmama at rmi.net>
What I bought was $20.70 per yard (55 inches wide), plus postage. IIRC
there is a discount for purchases over $100.00 (i.e., 5 yards).
I got some of the chestnut color (a nice medium brown) and some of the
straw color (a pale yellow that almost passes for 'natural'). (There are
other colors available.) I haven't made it up yet, but I can tell you
that the texture is like a silky linen and I expect it to make a really
nice underdress. It would make a good shirt, but pants would be rather
lightweight (she may have a heavier weight available, I don't know). Hemp
supposedly wears like iron, so the thinness wouldn't be a problem for
fragility, only for warmth. For a dress, I would want to either line it
or, of course, wear an underdress. Edges will have to be carefully
finished, as it will ravel easily.
I have no financial connection with McLemore Interiors; I'm just a
satisfied customer.
=Tamar the Gypsy (sharing account dickeney at access.digex.net)
From: The Custer Family <jcuster at alpha.clarion-net.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: CLOTHING INQUIRY FOR HEMP MATERIAL
Date: Thu, 06 Mar 1997 21:52:00 -0500
Organization: EMI Communications
mal1234 at aol.com (MAL1234) wrote:
> I'm wondering if anyone knows where or who may be selling hemp material by
> the yard. Someone in our Barony is looking for such material and has
> mentioned that it's the closest material to period clothing during the
> Hundred Year's War era. And yes I do know what hemp is, HOWEVER, this is
> no way in any shape or form asking for you know what. PURELY A MATERIAL
> FOR CLOTHES question.
> Anyone's insight would be greatly appreciated!
You might try this website: http://hemptech.com/index.html
It is the site of a group called HempTech : The Industrial Hemp
Information Network.
They include a list of the companies in the US that sell hemp based products, as well as news and information regarding the status of groups trying to get the US government to permit the growing of industrial grade hemp. There are also some
quality comparisons on hemp fabric vs. cotton fabric.
Elaine Flamme
From: anpwhotep at theriver.com (Bill Hartwell)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: CLOTHING INQUIRY FOR HEMP MATERIAL
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 1997 01:51:06 GMT
On 4 Mar 1997 16:09:09 GMT, mal1234 at aol.com (MAL1234) wrote:
>I'm wondering if anyone knows where or who may be selling hemp material by
>the yard. Someone in our Barony is looking for such material and has
>mentioned that it's the closest material to period clothing during the
>Hundred Year's War era. And yes I do know what hemp is, HOWEVER, this is
>no way in any shape or form asking for you know what. PURELY A MATERIAL
>FOR CLOTHES question.
>Anyone's insight would be greatly appreciated!
Greetings, m'lord,
My wife, Lady Jessica Marten, has connections with a wholesaler who
can provide everything from hemp gauze to hemp tent canvas. If you're
interested in what she can get for you, simply email her at:
dhartwel at nyx.net
Thank you for your indulgence.
Murphy
Tyr Ysgithr
Atenveldt
Rev. Bill Hartwell anpwhotep at theriver.com
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 11:19:39 -0400
From: "Hupman, Laurie" <LHupman at kenyon.com>
Subject: SC - Hemp Canvas
Stefan - How much would you consider reasonable for hemp canvas? Dharma
Trading company sells it for $8.95 if you buy the whole bolt (110 yards).
Might be worth splitting a bolt with somebody. They're online at
http://www.dharmatrading.com/hemp_fabrics.html.
Rose :)
Subject: Introducing Hemp Traders' New Web Page
Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 14:02:11 MST
From: Lawrence Serbin <lserbin at earthlink.net>
CC: e-mail M-N <lserbin at earthlink.net>
Dear Friends,
You have received this e-mail because you have shown an interest in hemp
textiles in the past. We apologize if this e-mail has caused any
inconvenience for you.
Hemp Traders is proud to announce the completion of their new website at
www.hemptraders.com. If you love hemp fabric, we mean REALLY LOVE HEMP
FABRIC, then come and visit our site. If you do not really love hemp
fabric, then don't bother to visit our web page at:
www.hemptraders.com
For the first time, Hemp Traders is offering sales over the internet of
their famous collection of hemp fabrics. This site offers great information
for manufacturers and designers who would like to start working with hemp,
as well as an excellent resource for students and teachers who want to learn
more about this wonderful textile.
Hemp Traders' website is superb for viewing our current selection and deals
on close-out hemp fabric. So why are you waiting? Point your browser
towards www.hemptraders.com, and prepared to be delighted.
Sincerely,
Lawrence Serbin
President/Owner
Hemp Traders
If for any reason you do not wish to receive this e-mail, just hit the reply
button with the word "REMOVE" in the subject, and you will be removed from
this list.
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:48:38 -0600 (CST)
From: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] flax processing (was Bread labor)
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
> One interesting bit of information that I picked up in my meandering
> was that, despite its many useful qualities, hemp wasn't used in
> period as a fabric because it was so difficult to perform the
> equivalent retting process-
Phlip, I don't know where you found that piece of 'information' but it's
nonsense. Remember Shakespeare's 'hempen homespuns'? Yeah, people of the
lower class wore hemp cloth. Markham gives instructions for retting hemp
along with his instructions for retting flax.
Archaeologically, it's apparently impossible to tell different bast
fibers from one another without destructive testing, so there's little
information out there about what is found.
The long length of hemp fibers (circa 15 feet) and their strength appears
to have been the reason they were used for ropes, etc-- flax fibers are
much shorter.
Now, it may be true that hemp was used primarily for coarse cloth in
period because it was harder to process it into the fine fibers for
high-class clothing.
Or it may just have to do with Western European fashions and ways of
processing fiber, esp. spinning.
--
-- Jenne Heise / Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
<the end>