And by the time the nettles are spinnable they have lost their prick? Are they at least a teeny tiny bit more abundant in the amount of crop they yield (for spinning) than milkweed? I like that green! We used to have fabric that was called 'nettle' (Nessel), but it was off-white. Bleached, perhaps?
Well, I think it depends on when you spin them. Any time they’re harvested green, they’ll be prickly (though if I’m working with the green stalks, I wear leather gloves to rub off the leaves the prickles on the stem, after which they’re great to work with. After being winter retted, the prickles are pretty much gone. As for fiber quantity —it actually varies from stalk to stalk with both plants, though I’ve always had better luck getting good “clean” (white) fiber with milkweed. But that might be practice?
Love seeing the happiness in Beryl's gait! And yours, too! So glad to hear you enjoy Stinging Nettle tea. I find it can rather quickly sooth any minor ache I my have. And is just very nice to sip anytime, as I am doing right now enjoying your bright as spring post!
I just ate the last of the fresh nettle from that harvest, and now wish I knew where to get more for all those aches (without diving into my dry winter stash that is….)
I love the nettle tapestry! Also happy to that you have your old website available plus the new shop. Just bought the patterns for the Magic Medium and the Sarah-Dippity skirt. Of course, now I need to find some time to get back to playing with fiber!
Gosh thank you Jen! Hope you get a chance to get back to playing with fiber. Fingers crossed for as you know, it does a body so much good (unless it hurts of course. Sigh…). And the Nettle Tapestry says “thanks!”
Oh gosh — like… nettles? 😂 Actually some people say they are like spinach when fresh, but to me the taste is very distinct. Green and yummy and mild. You can buy dry nettle in tea bag form to taste it — but then if you don’t like it you’re stuck with it. Sigh.
What a glorious post. Nettles, although occasionally a pain, appear to be my favourite pain when I come across them. They always remind me of an old episode of The Good Life, an old British tv show about a husband and wife who give self sufficiency a go in suburbia. I heartily recommend the show. I have never worked out how to spin nettle fiber, it twist it. I am so willing to learn.
Oh golly, I feel like I saw an episode of The Good Life many years ago and will definitely check it out again. Thank you for the reminder! And yes— a favorite pain. Perfectly put.
Well, bears are pretty wondrous creatures, if less easy to spin. Though I suppose a person could wind them up with a certainly kind of behavior (like my friend and I encroaching on their territory when we were picking….)
They are delicious. Also prickly. Also delicious. And nutritious. And magical in all the good ways. People work hard to get rid of them (cuz… prickly), but there are people who know and often there are huge patches in places people don’t go too often… Worth some exploration for sure.
You have trilliums! My gardener friend Caroline says she'd love to be able to grow them here in the UK (she's in Wales, we're on the English side of the border), and we do have them (pink fading to white), in a walled bed established by the former gardener owner of our house, which suggests to me that they're tricky to establish in our limestone soil.
Yes to trilliums! Those were growing wild with the nettles. The friend I was gathering with (who knows such things) said that the one in the first photo was purple because it had been pollinated, while the white one (below that) had not.The single plant I managed to establish at my old house (they are notoriously particular as you point out), did just as you describe —only backwards — white fading to pink!
Oh those little jaunty dog butts. Are they not the BEST???? Irresistible.
I hope your settling and unpacking is proceeding apace. Though Lon since unpacked, I think I’m still in the settling phase, though every but of yarn work, and every walk in teh woods, helps enormously.
Cellulosic perfection. Well you are my guide and mentor in that department, so THANK YOU! Indeed, I think you shared the phrase “cellulosic experiments” with me many years ago just as I was putting my toe into that realm, and it delighted me so much that I could do nothing but keep walking and exploring. Thank you again for all of it.
Looks like you wove this one on the side!
Definitely woven on the side!
Love nettles. I often make a pesto with nettles, nuts, and other herbs and spices to spread on crackers.
Thanks for your posts, they really bring my Tuesday mornings joy!
Oooh— nettle pesto. That sounds sooo good. Also a great way to store them as I assume you can freeze it. Thanks!
Oohhh! The nettle weaving!
It fills me with swirls of admiration, joy and inspiration.
Such a thing….
Oh thank you so much! Nettles are amazing.
And by the time the nettles are spinnable they have lost their prick? Are they at least a teeny tiny bit more abundant in the amount of crop they yield (for spinning) than milkweed? I like that green! We used to have fabric that was called 'nettle' (Nessel), but it was off-white. Bleached, perhaps?
Well, I think it depends on when you spin them. Any time they’re harvested green, they’ll be prickly (though if I’m working with the green stalks, I wear leather gloves to rub off the leaves the prickles on the stem, after which they’re great to work with. After being winter retted, the prickles are pretty much gone. As for fiber quantity —it actually varies from stalk to stalk with both plants, though I’ve always had better luck getting good “clean” (white) fiber with milkweed. But that might be practice?
Love seeing the happiness in Beryl's gait! And yours, too! So glad to hear you enjoy Stinging Nettle tea. I find it can rather quickly sooth any minor ache I my have. And is just very nice to sip anytime, as I am doing right now enjoying your bright as spring post!
I just ate the last of the fresh nettle from that harvest, and now wish I knew where to get more for all those aches (without diving into my dry winter stash that is….)
I love the nettle tapestry! Also happy to that you have your old website available plus the new shop. Just bought the patterns for the Magic Medium and the Sarah-Dippity skirt. Of course, now I need to find some time to get back to playing with fiber!
Gosh thank you Jen! Hope you get a chance to get back to playing with fiber. Fingers crossed for as you know, it does a body so much good (unless it hurts of course. Sigh…). And the Nettle Tapestry says “thanks!”
R here! In case anyone wants more info on nettle tincture: https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/blogs/ppj/tincture-101?srsltid=AfmBOooM5guhWoC_AqY--XpkSumQO5U6CTdSgjfqlFQX8Fd9imkVdBAb
https://theherbalacademy.com/blog/a-family-herb-stinging-nettle-leaf-uses/
Ok, here's my burning question... what do nettles taste like?
Oh gosh — like… nettles? 😂 Actually some people say they are like spinach when fresh, but to me the taste is very distinct. Green and yummy and mild. You can buy dry nettle in tea bag form to taste it — but then if you don’t like it you’re stuck with it. Sigh.
What a glorious post. Nettles, although occasionally a pain, appear to be my favourite pain when I come across them. They always remind me of an old episode of The Good Life, an old British tv show about a husband and wife who give self sufficiency a go in suburbia. I heartily recommend the show. I have never worked out how to spin nettle fiber, it twist it. I am so willing to learn.
Oh golly, I feel like I saw an episode of The Good Life many years ago and will definitely check it out again. Thank you for the reminder! And yes— a favorite pain. Perfectly put.
It is so nice to go on a walk with you. However, it probably would not be as quiet because we could be chatting about a million things !!
Isn’t that the truth!
Sorry that we have no nettles here, and our local milkweed isn't spinnable, but bears we have!
Well, bears are pretty wondrous creatures, if less easy to spin. Though I suppose a person could wind them up with a certainly kind of behavior (like my friend and I encroaching on their territory when we were picking….)
I have never had nettles. I'm intrigued.
They are delicious. Also prickly. Also delicious. And nutritious. And magical in all the good ways. People work hard to get rid of them (cuz… prickly), but there are people who know and often there are huge patches in places people don’t go too often… Worth some exploration for sure.
Alas, I live in so. Cal, and I think it's too dry for nettles in the desert. Sage brush and tumbleweeds mainly grow here.
I think you can get some good cordage out of some of those things — if not a spinach-like supper!
Sarah, is that a white trillium? The lsbrnfar looks also like a tritium could be. Where is the Palouse that you have trilliums?
Jody Williams
Yes! It is trillium and it was growing wild up on Moscow Mountain amongst the nettles.
You have trilliums! My gardener friend Caroline says she'd love to be able to grow them here in the UK (she's in Wales, we're on the English side of the border), and we do have them (pink fading to white), in a walled bed established by the former gardener owner of our house, which suggests to me that they're tricky to establish in our limestone soil.
Yes to trilliums! Those were growing wild with the nettles. The friend I was gathering with (who knows such things) said that the one in the first photo was purple because it had been pollinated, while the white one (below that) had not.The single plant I managed to establish at my old house (they are notoriously particular as you point out), did just as you describe —only backwards — white fading to pink!
Thanks to Beryl for her lovely bustly bottom, just like my Arthur's (though his is much fluffier), and the walks.
Oh those little jaunty dog butts. Are they not the BEST???? Irresistible.
I hope your settling and unpacking is proceeding apace. Though Lon since unpacked, I think I’m still in the settling phase, though every but of yarn work, and every walk in teh woods, helps enormously.
nettle tapestry is cellulosic perfection
Cellulosic perfection. Well you are my guide and mentor in that department, so THANK YOU! Indeed, I think you shared the phrase “cellulosic experiments” with me many years ago just as I was putting my toe into that realm, and it delighted me so much that I could do nothing but keep walking and exploring. Thank you again for all of it.