Back to Basics
Onwards,
rediscovering ancient skills and crafts:
of growing woad and indigo dye;
harvesting flax and processing it
the old way, by hand - dew-retting, drying,
rippling, scutching and heckling.
As ago, every farmed or propertied land
was requisitioned to devote a fifth to growing flax:
for carding, spinning, weaving
- to clothe the population,
as well as for sail-cloth, fishing nets,
rope and twine, lobster creels.
It’s by-products, as insulation,
replacers for fibre-glass,
linseed oil, fabric for jeans.
proven in mummification wrappings
as well as in contemporary, sustainable high fashion;
for paper and bank-notes,
in book-binding and art canvas.
The wonders of flax.
Oct