Sparrow Primitives™ {blog}

What is the first thing to spring to mind when I mention the word “nettle”?

Most people immediately recall some nasty stings and the frantic search for dock leaves or Calamine to sooth burning skin or perhaps you would envisage packets of nettle tea. Would you be surprised to know that nettles were used to produce soft fibres for spinning into threads? Nettle thread was widely used until it was replaced by silk, nettle cloth was routinely produced in Scotland until the 19th century and as recently as World War One, Germany cultivated nettles to make clothing when fabric was in short supply. Nettle fibres are white, silky, and produce a  gorgeously fine, soft thread. I’ve not been brave enough to extract the fibres from nettles myself, but I have had a go at spinning the fibres and using the threads it produced. Continue reading →