Natural Materials - Linen

[Skaukraft]

Why do you tell me these things Toddy!
Now I have to burn all my cotton clothes and buy new linen clothes.
But I cant afford it, so I guess I have to grow my own linen then
As if I didn't have enoughe projects going on.

Jokes asida. Thanks for sharing you knowledge.

 

[santaman2000]

really? iv been wearing the same pair of linen trousers for 6 years now and they have survived just about everything

I suspect it depends on the weave of each. There's a difference between cotton denim and cotton flannel and a large range in between; and likely as large a range of choices of linen.

 

[santaman2000]

Now we have all talked about wool and how lovely and warm it is....(well my dutch army blanket is, thats for sure)... and how cotton is not great if next to the skin due to the moisture and heat being taken away from your body. That is just my general overview, I know there has been big debates on here about each one.

But what about linen? It was worn for centuries and I have seen a lot of re-enactors use it for their tunics...

Over here many re-enactors wear linen longhunter shirts as they are more historically accurate.

 

[forestwalker]

Mu summer job entails wearing linen (1785 role in an outdoord museum). Oh, the suffering. Not. Wool and linen when I can get it. Planning to get some good quality linen and copying a pair of Fjällräven trousers...

 

[Chiseller]

Best not to mention Irish linen charcloth on this thread then
Fantastic reading. Cheers :thumbup:
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

 

[Pandabean]

Cheers for that Mary. Quite interesting.

I did find this website last night when looking at it. It shows how it can be good in the warmth by keeping the skin temperature cooler and even talks about keeping warmth when it is cold.
http://www.linenlinens.com/why_linen.html

- Linen creates a feeling of freshness in hot weather and comfort warmth in winter. It is due to high thermo insulation qualities of the linen. When the weather is hot, the temperature between the body and linen is 3-4 degree below the air. When it is cold, the linen fabric carefully saves the body’s heat.
- Linen possesses high air permeability and heat conductivity properties. Heat conductivity of linen is five times as high as that of wool and 19 times as that of silk. In hot weather those dressed in linen clothes are found to show the skin temperature 3°-4°C below that of their silk or cotton-wearing friends. According to some studies, a person wearing linen clothes perspires 1.5 times less than when dressed in cotton clothes and twice less than when dressed in viscose clothes. Meanwhile in cold weather linen is an ideal warmth-keeper;

 

[Toddy]

I don't find it keeps me warm, but I do find that it helps trap warm air in layers. It doesn't feel clammy when working hard in cold weather, put it like that

cheers,
M

 

[Wayland]

Best not to mention Irish linen charcloth on this thread then
Fantastic reading. Cheers :thumbup:

That's what all my scraps get used for. It burns hotter than cotton as far as I can tell.

 

[tombear]

I have become a big fan of linen, Herts Specialist Fabrics has supplied me with some really nice stuff and herself got me a roll end of Irish linen from a rag trade place in Manchester. They were selling stuff on eBay but she got in touch with them and since she was working in the area arranged to pick some up, cash in hand. Lovely bit of shmatter!

ATB

Tom

 

[sandbender]

"...Sandbender what sort of price is linen by the metre where you are ? No rush, just if you come across it ..."

The best quality material comes from Transylvania, there are a few craft fairs coming up where folk will have brought their wares from there, I'll let you know.

 

[Toddy]

Thank you

cheers,
M