Nettle-A-Long, harvesting stinging nettle yarn

Nancy Reading wrote:...I'm happy that Inge says that this can be processed later so I don't have to do all the steps in a tight time frame.

I still haven't done anything else with my partly-processed nettles after the photos I showed here. But I know from last year's experience, as well as from Sally Pointer's videos, that I can wait until I have more time.

When we moved here three months ago, I was elated to find a tiny stand of nettles growing where we plan to put the house. “No problem,” I thought, “they’re hardy and I can just move them to a better location that isn’t in the middle of what will be the garage.”

Then I found a bigger stand in another location on the property. That was also pretty exciting.

Two days ago, I found this mother lode on my in-laws’ place (we’re sectioning off a few acres from their place, and they’ve been clear we can use their land for growing and harvesting and such). A couple more weeks and I’ll be up to my elbows harvesting and retting!

Finally the next step in the processing of the nettles. First I soaked the half-processed fibers, then I scraped them.

Because this time I only wanted some string to bind things together, this was all the scraping needed.
(to be continued ...)

And here is the string. And more fibers waiting ...

Regarding the question about daisies, I have the same issue and the same question.  I saw on another video...was it Sally Pointer? They took a plant fresh picked.andushed it all up to see if it separated into fibrous threads to see if it would be good for textiles or cordage. I haven't gotten my daisies.to.do that to an amount.t I want to pursue, anyways. I have woven baskets with them. Nothing fancy, just basket to pick blackberries with.

I found this thread in my search for nettle processing and blackberry vine processing, since I have a few.  It would be great if I could find a way to soften blackberry enough to be wearable. And find a way to give my hands some.relief in making.all.this cordage.  Just spent two or three days nonstop.spinning.wool on a road trip with a drop spindle.and I had to go find my copper bracelets.for some pain relief.  I also put my hands in the nettles.😁.  That actually works,.and yes it hurts. But in arthritis type.pain.it.hurts (hard to explain)....differently....  Short term.... than when it did to me as a kid.

Further up in the thread someone mentioned.big welts on their skin and plantain to relieve it.  I got those as a kid,.and was.taugnt to use.the dots on the underside.of a sword.fern rubbed on it.  Then later on I learned bracken fern works.as well. I don't get those welts anymore.and welcome the two or three days of pain relief.

Regarding the question about daisies, I have the same issue and the same question.  I saw on another video...was it Sally Pointer? They took a plant fresh picked.andushed it all up to see if it separated into fibrous threads to see if it would be good for textiles or cordage. I haven't gotten my daisies.to.do that to an amount.t I want to pursue, anyways. I have woven baskets with them. Nothing fancy, just basket to pick blackberries with.

I found this thread in my search for nettle processing and blackberry vine processing, since I have a few.  It would be great if I could find a way to soften blackberry enough to be wearable. And find a way to give my hands some.relief in making.all.this cordage.  Just spent two or three days nonstop.spinning.wool on a road trip with a drop spindle.and I had to go find my copper bracelets.for some pain relief.  I also put my hands in the nettles.😁.  That actually works,.and yes it hurts. But in arthritis type.pain.it.hurts (hard to explain)....differently....  Short term.... than when it did to me as a kid.

Further up in the thread someone mentioned.big welts on their skin and plantain to relieve it.  I got those as a kid,.and was.taugnt to use.the dots on the underside.of a sword.fern rubbed on it.  Then later on I learned bracken fern works.as well. I don't get those welts anymore.and welcome the two or three days of pain relief.

Below is pictured:

1- Nettle.fiber split when first.picked.and hung.to.dry, rubbed by hand remove the rough bits.  Then on to carding.  Per Sally Pointer.on YouTube.

2 and 3-  Blackberry vine fiber stripped down at picking and then twisted into cordage. It's pretty rough, but rubbing the cordage on the edge of a table seems to soften it a little.

Sally Pointer's Youtube channel, that's the place to be when you want to know about 'wild' fiber plants! I follow her method of processing Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica) into 'thread' (no retting, no carding or spinning!).

The season for harvesting the Nettles is starting ...