About linen fiber

When you twist linen fibers together you will end up with yarn. This yarn is resistant to rotting in damp climates and durable. Linen is one of the few yarns that is just as strong wet as it is dry. In comparison to other natural fibers the individual strand length, or staple, is very long. Linen is flax stalk that has been spun into yarn.

Measure The standard bulk measurement of bulk linen is the lea. You will get 300 yards for pound when the yarn has a size of one lea. The finer linen used for personal linens and handkerchiefs can be up to 40 lea.

History of Linen Production Until around 1950 the finest linen was produced in Ireland, Belgium, and Scotland. One of the major reasons is that the climates of these countries were ideally suited for yarn production. Retting is the term which refers to the process of making yarn. Many of fine factories of these countries have closed over the years, with most of the production now taking place in China.

There has been a general decrease in the use of linen, perhaps because of the general lack of understanding of and appreciation for high quality yarn and the increased quality of synthetic fibers. Another possible reason for the decrease in the popularity of fine linen is its tendency to wrinkle, thus requiring high temperature ironing while the fabric damp. This is a time consuming practice that many just do not have time for.

The result is a huge drop in production of very high quality linen. Much of the material now being produced is for low volume applications, such as artists and hand weavers.

Uses for Linen Linen is capable of withstanding both hot water washing and scrubbing. Linen can also be bleached by being placed in the sun. People in the Middle Ages took full advantage of these properties, using linen to produce items that where worn close to the body such as undershirts and underwear. These items grew to be called body linens.

Linen was also used to make bed sheets, napkins, and tablecloths during this time. The term linen is still used to refer to these items, even though most of them are now produced using synthetic fibers.

Sails, tents, canvases, clothes, and paper are other common uses for linen. The strength of linen caused it to be used in the production of shields and gambeson in the Middle Ages. Although it is said the Hoplite cuirass were made from linen, they were most likely produced from leather due to the cost of linen.

Quality of Linen There are many different qualities of linen, varying from silk like to sack like. Ivory and white are the two natural colors of linen. Linen is capable of standing up to hot washing and should be damp when ironed. A common characteristic of linen yarn are small knots, referred to as slubs, which occur randomly along the length.

Slubs are, in fact a product defect which is only found in low quality product. High quality linen yarn will have a consistent diameter and will not contain any slubs. Always be aware that linen will shrink dramatically when first washed.

Irish Linen Linen produced in Ireland is known as Irish linen, as you might expect. Ireland has been home to the production and spinning of linen for centuries. Recent years has seen advanced agricultural techniques which have made it possible for the majority of linen production to be transferred to northern Europe. Prior to that the flax plant was grown in Ireland for years.

Northern France, the Netherlands, and Belgium now produce the majority of the worlds flax crop. The flax that is now used to produce Irish linen is also grown in these regions these days. Yarn is produced by spinners who purchase the raw linen, and then sold to knitters or weavers who turn it into fabric.

Classification of Irish Linen Irish linen now refers to yarn which is spun in Ireland using only flax fiber. Irish linen fabric refers to fabric created in Ireland using 100 linen yarn. The yarn for Irish linen fabric does not need to be produced in Ireland and can come from a variety of locations, including Italy, France, and the Far East.

The Irish Linen Guild has stated that products which are produced using Irish linen fabric may be officially labels as Irish Linen and bear the official trademark. The Irish Linen Guild is the office promotional body for the Irish linen industry and was formed in 1928.

Labeling laws state that products must be labeled with the country in which they were produced. Sometimes tablecloths, bed linens, and other products are produced using Irish linen fabric according to the instructions of a specific designer, but in a plant somewhere else in the world besides Ireland. Because of the aforementioned labeling laws these products will bear a label saying they were produced in X, even though they use actual Irish linen fabric.

Products are able to bear two separate labels, one for the country of manufacture and one stating that it is indeed Irish linen. No matter where the final product was produced, if the fabric was woven in Ireland it is considered Irish linen fabric. To avoid any confusion be sure to look for the official labels of the Irish Linen Guild.

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