Water retting nettle fibre

[Sappy]

I got some more nettles today but for some reason the fibre breaks every time I try to remove it.

I've stuck about a hundred in a bag full of water but now in lost, what do I do next? How long on average does it take to ret? Once its retted how to I extract the fibre?

I tried to research it but there doesn't appear to be much info out there so hopefully somoene will have experience.

I'm a little worried that they ate useless given that I can't remove the whole fibre intact while fresh

Cheers

 

[Anzia]

I read up on this (great! an armchair wannabe ) a while ago as I want to try this next year. Apparently nettles harvested in August/early September are best, but I can't remember why. The sites I read said to definitely do the retting stage, and one tip was to change the water after the first 12 hours as this is supposed to stop them being spoiled. Then to top up with fresh water and give them 2-3 days longer (I think).

Sorry for the scanty detail. I'm sure I bookmarked the best three sites, but I can't find them now. Typical!

Edit: This is one site I looked at which I thought was good. Now bookmarked again! http://www.nettlesoup.info/nettlecloth.htm

Edit 2: For the post-retting stage, it should be like flax, and this YouTube channel has some great videos showing the whole process http://www.youtube.com/user/attheHermitage?feature=watch

 

[Sappy]

Cheers mate

All the info I've found seems contradictary. Supposedly the water breaks down the pectin which binds the fibre to the stalk. I've harvested and prepared a few thousand nettles this year, I've always left them on grass overnight sovi can just pull the fibres off, I've gt about a quarter acre of land that is entirely nettles so I want to ret them.

I find the nettle when it turns purple is a fair bit stronger than when green but the green fibres cope better in water so I use them green for nets and fishing line

 

[Mesquite]

I've never bothered with retting nettle fibres.

Just crush the stem, split it open then peel the fibres from the woody inner stem and leave to dry.

Then when I start making the cordage I'll dampen it as I go along.

 

[Sappy]

Aye but that's only useful for small scale production(less than a thousand) I want to get a decent amount

 

[Anzia]

*more Googling* It seems that for that scale, you'll definitely need the water retting. The site I linked to says:

Investigators had all along made the mistake of assuming that nettles should be rotted like flax; that is, thrown into water and left there till the plants were sufficiently rotted to permit the separation of fibre and wood. This method failed completely with nettles, for the rotting process attacked the fibre as well and destroyed it.

Richter found the reason. Nettles contain much fruit sugar, which is all steeped out during the first half day that the plants lie in water; and then a fermentation process sets in. This fermentation is due to the development of bacteria that feed upon the sugar and then destroy the value of the fibre. After Richter established these facts, he had only to draw off the water after soaking the nettles for twelve hours, and then turn on fresh water. Now another class of bacteria, which do not attack the fibre, is developed, and rotting proceeds as normally as with flax.

It might be worth trying two separate batches simultaneously - one with the water changed after 12 hours, then given another 2 days, and the other left for 3 days continuously. At least you'll know for sure if the water change is needed then.

As it says to proceed as for flax after that - I guess you'd do breaking and then scutching and then combing.

Although this woman says she just retted and then carded straight away.

Not sure how it works for cordage though! I was watching these for making yarn. I guess you'd need the same steps though?

 

[Sappy]

Thanks for that dude, I stuck half the nettles in another bag, so two sets of 50 to try.

Yarn is just individual fibres lightly rolled together at the ends to create a week long lengh of fibre is it not?

If so that's what i do when making thick ropes using roping hooks and a swivel, essentially the same as a ropewalk, quicker to make but for a hilundred foot rope you need to be 100 ft away from the end.

 

[Anzia]

Well, a slim bunch of fibres I think... I'm going to need to try it to get my head round it! But it does sound similar

 

[Sappy]

The pectin must be leaching out already as I can now remove the fibres even easier than fresh green nettles.

 

[spandit]

How long do nettles remain stingy for once cut?

 

[Sappy]

How long do nettles remain stingy for once cut?

usually when you harvest them you immediatly strip of the leaves which also removes the sting.

The nettles I have retting still had stings attached but are no longer stingy after a night in water