What is Linen?

Linen: lin-en [lin-uh n] – fabric or yarn woven from flax fiber; often bedding, tablecloths, shirts, etc., made of linen cloth or a more common substitute, such as cotton.

Linen is a fabric made from the linen fibers obtained from inside the woody stem of the flax plant. Flax crops are sown in April, produce delicate blue flowers in June and harvest in August. After pulling, the crop is laid out in the fields to ret, a process where the woody bark of the plant is naturally rotted so that the fibers come loose from the main stem. The seeds are removed and used for linseed oil. A process called scutching removes the bark which is made into chipboard.

Linen fibers have prized qualities that make them excellent for spinning into yarn and weaving into fabrics:

• Length – 12” to over 20” when well prepared
• High pectin content - pectin is a glue-like substance that helps bind fibers together
• Nodes - little bumps on the fibers that help them join readily and bind strongly. Wicks moisture – Allows moisture to pass quickly through it, making it a comfortable material to have against the skin.
• Lustrous - high wax content gives linen its characteristic luster.
• Strong - Other than ramie, it has the greatest tensile strength of any natural fiber, and is 20% stronger when wet.
• Durable - If not exposed to synthetic bleaches or mechanical drying, linen fabrics can last for decades.