FABRIC
From: Hare Krsna dasi (Brunswick, Maine -
USA) Hare.Krsna.dasi@bbt.se
Sent: 10 June 1999 00:17
Subject: From Flax to Linen -- Handwoven Magazine
[Text 2387496 from COM]
[An article from "Handwoven" magazine, March/April
1997. You can order this magazine and others from The Mannings Handweaving
School and Supply Center catalog.]
http://www.the-mannings.com/pages/catbmag.htm
article:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/7231/flaxlinen.html
FROM FLAX TO LINEN
Although some 200 kinds of flax grow in the wild, flax grown for fiber is *Linuim
usitatissimum* (Latin for "the most useful flax"). This species has been
cultivated for centuries, and the processes for converting its fibers into
yarn are nearly as old.
THE FLAX PLANT
The textile fibers (called bast fibers) produced by the flax plant grow the
entire length of the stem as part of the phloem tissue, which conducts
sugars and other nutrients to all parts of the plant. Flax in one of several
plants (hemp and ramie are two others {HKDD: Is nettle also in this
category?}) that produce bast fibers for textiles. In flax, the fibers
arranged in bundles of ten to forty individual fibers around a woody core,
held together in a band by pectinous substances and covered by an outer
layer called the epidermis. Like other bast-producing plants, flax must
undergo several processes to extract the fiber and prepare it for spinning.
When mature and ready for harvesting, flax plants are about 39 inches tall
{1 meter}. Plants intended for fiber are never cut but always *pulled* from
the ground to preserve the full length of fiber. The pulled stems are laid
on the ground or bundled and stacked to dry.
If seeds are to be harvested, they are removed after drying by threshing
(beating) or pressing the tips of the stems through a coarse metal comb
(RIPPLING) to remove the seed capsules.
RETTING
Retting is the process of dissolving the pectins that bind the fiber bundles
by the actions of molds and bacteria. The process must be carefully
monitored and stopped before the pectins that cement together the individual
fibers of the bundles are dissolved. Flax is retted either by keeping the
stems moist with dew and rain or by immersing them in water.
In dew retting, the harvested stems are laid out on grass in thin, uniform
layers. Dew, rainfall, and occasional sprinkling when necessary keep the
stems moist enough for molds to grow and dissolve the pectins binding the
fiber bundles. The process usually takes two to four weeks, during which
time the stems will be turned one or more times. Dew-retted flax is usually
brown-gray in color.
Alternatively, flax can be retted in standing or slowly running water. The
bacterial decomposition that occurs during water retting produces an
unpleasant odor, and the time needed for complete retting depends on the
temperature of the water: it takes three to five days in a tank held at 86
degrees to 95 degrees Farenheit. Water-retted flax is pale gold in color.
After retting, the pectins should have been dissolved, leaving the entire
flax stem largely intact. The stems are dried and then subjected to
mechanical processes - breaking, scutching, and hackling - that separate the
fibers from the woody stem material. These procedures were developed when
flax was processed by hand. Although machines now replicate these processes,
textiles craftspersons still use the hand methods to prepare their own flax
for spinning and weaving.
BREAKING
The dried flax stems are crush, bent, or crimped to break up the inner woody
core (also called boon), leaving the long, flexible fibers intact. During
the process, some of the boon separates and falls away from the fiber.
The moisture content of the flax is important at this stage: too much
moisture makes it difficult to break up the woody core effectively, while
too little increases the proportion of valuable fiber wasted.
SCUTCHING (OR SWINGLING)
After breaking, most of the boon still adheres to the fiber. Scutching
gently scrapes away as much of the clinging boon as possible without
damaging the fiber. Scutching by hand uses a blunt wooden blade to scrape
the fibers as they hang against a wooden board. Scutching tow, consisting of
boon and short flax fibers, falls to the ground. *Depending on its quality,
waste fiber is used for making paper or chipboard.*
HACKLING
The bundles of fiber are then drawn over hackles, combs consisting of
several rows of long metal tines that remove the last remaining pieces of
boon and align the long line of fibers in preparation for spinning. The
waste is mostly short lengths of flax called TOW. This is spun separately
into tow yarns, which are softer than LINE yarns, but not as strong or
lustrous.
PREPARATION FOR HANDSPINNING
Finally, the hackled flax is arranged on a DISTAFF for handspinning. The
distaff allows the spinner to maintain order in the bundle of very long
fibers and to stop and resume spinning with a minimum of disruption
FURTHER READING
Baines, Patricia. *Linen: Hand Spinning and Weaving.* London: Batsford,
1989.
Heinrich, Linda. *The Magic of Linen: Flax Seed to Woven Cloth.* Victoria,
British Columbia: Orca, 1992.
Hochberg, Bette. *Fibre Facts.* Santa Crus, California: Bette Hochberg,
1981.
*The Weaver's Journal* Fall 1982, 7 (2): Issue 26.
From: Nistula (das) ACBSP (Sri Pundarik Dham -
Bangladesh) Nistula.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 11 June 1999 12:58
Subject: Re: From Flax to Linen
[Text 2397156 from COM]
Hare Krsna Dasi,
I didn't get the pictures attached to those wonderful excerpts on flax
linen, even in Alaska, simply amazing. Bengal is/was home to a lot of jute,
which I believe is related to flax, and what they call 'the golden fibre'
(almost exclusively retted in water, and ya, what a stink). Jute cloth,
saris and dhoties have a unique 'sheen' to them like satin or silk, I also
believe that jute is considered 'pure' for puja and such, many namaboli
chaddars were made from it in India. Unfortunately the jute production is
rapidly dying out due to replacement by modern alternatives. Cloth
manufacture is all but completely lost.
We did grow a few crops of jute at Pundarik Dham a few years ago, even small
crops give a lot of fibre. we used most of it for rope, twine, etc. (for the
cows, and other things) and have no facilities for processing or weaving it
(for sacking or clothing). It's strong. The long stems (our's were over 7'
tall) if kept in-tact are also great for making beautiful looking siding for
houses, sheds or such-like. The villagers apply gobar to the jute sticks,
lean them against a wall to dry, and then for cooking, very handy and easier
to store/handle/burn than just the paddies...
If you've still got the pictures around, please send them to
dabcgp@spnetctg.com, nothing
attached ever transcends com it seems.
ys, nistula dasa
From: Hare Krsna dasi (Brunswick, Maine - USA)
Hare.Krsna.dasi@bbt.se
Sent: 21 July 1999 19:03
Subject: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2494906 from COM]
Can anyone give me information on the process of
extracting dye from plant material, and if it requires any stabilization
or anything. I guess that each plant has different characteristics, but
maybe there are some general principles?
Are there any easy ways of identifying plants which have dye properties?
Being here in Mauritius, I would imagine that many of the books available
on the market, would not necessarily cover plants here, and I am not aware
if there are any local plants identified for this purpose. I guess we
could grow foreign varieties though.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
YS Samba das
When Mrs. Garland gave her herb presentation, she
pointed out many plants which create good dyes. Eventually she revealed that
most plants with yellow flowers will make some type of yellow or gold
pigment for dyeing fabric (or basket materials -- she had woven her own
baskets using some dyed pieces).
Many green plants are a good source of green.
The difficult colors are reds and blues -- which is why woad (for red) and
indigo (for blue) became such important crops for a certain period -- and
why in Western culture, only royalty wore blue for a long period of history.
She explained that she was fermenting a batch of lichen (a pale green moss
that grows on rocks) in an attempt to obtain a pink dye, after having read
about the process.
She also pointed out to Rohita and Phalguna a certain shelf fungus and said
they could process it to produce saffron-colored dye -- but she may have
been joking with them, I'm not sure.
One thing I would say is that if you are interested in plant dyes, it might
still be worthwhile to get ahold of a book on plant-based dyes. Just
learning the principles, you could experiment and apply them to what you
have locally.
Another very important point is to make full use of local people who have
knowledge. When Phalguna asked about developing a curriculum centered around
using plants for self-sufficiency, Mrs. Garland emphasized the importance of
finding local people from indigenous groups in the area where you are and
going to them for knowledge. She said often the elderly people have this
knowledge, but no one is interested. They are delighted when someone comes
and speaks to them with respect and is enthusiastic to learn what they have
to share.
We were very lucky that my son happened to come in contact with Mrs.
Garland, who grew up without electricity in a remote community in northern
Maine, and who also has Micmac Indian ancestors -- so she has a range of
self-sufficiency skills, which she has added to over the years by her study
of ethno-botany (the study of how plants are used in different cultures).
But, there are thousands of talented people around the world. Krsna has
given them a wealth of knowledge, and when we approach them with our
questions, it opens up preaching opportunities.
your servant,
Hare Krsna dasi
From: Nistula (das) ACBSP (Sri Pundarik Dham -
Bangladesh) Nistula.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 22 July 1999 17:21
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2497306 from COM]
Can anyone give me information on the process of
extracting dye from plant material, and if it requires any stabilization
or anything.
Another very important point is to make full use of local people.
As no one seems to be contributing much on this
subject, other than that sage advice from Hare Krsna Dasi, I'll just add my
very rudimentary experiences. We've only done some very simple vegetable
dying here at Pundarik Dham. Mostly with cloth, but have also tried with
Deity face painting (alpana), handmade paper, mud plaster, cane & mats, wood
finishes, baskets, etc.
DYEING
Generally the process we've used (for cloth) is simply to boil the raw
material with an equal amount of water (perhaps with a pinch of soda) for at
least 30 minutes, strain it through a cloth and then add the cloth and boil
while stirring gently, till the desired color is obtained, usually half an
hour. For deeper colors the cloth may be dried and then dyed once or twice
again. You'll need a plentiful supply of good, clean water, preferably
running (like a stream).
MORDANTING
So far as stabilizing, fixing or mordanting is concerned, this is another
art that can enhance or even alter the color according to what mordant agent
is used and the properties of the raw dye material. We generally use alum
(what Indian barbers use after shaving), as it's a natural product. Some
other common mordants are copper sulphate, potassium dichromate or ferrous
sulphate. We dissolve 1 part alum in 20 parts hot water till dissolved, add
the cloth and boil for half an hour, while gently stirring. Then the cloth
can be dried in the sun or just well-squeezed and dyed.
RAW MATERIALS
Can be almost anything, use local traditional knowledge as Hare Krsna Dasi
suggests or just your imagination, almost any plant or mineral source can be
used. You can be mix the raw materials to get new color combinations or dye
the cloth in one and then another color. This is only a very small list of
some of the raw materials that we have used (more or less successfully) and
that I think you just might find in Mauritius (or at Indian shops):
LEAVES & PETALS:
Marigold petals = Mustard color
Mehendi (henna) leaves = Golden
Dahlia petals = Peach gold
Eucalyptus leaves = Deep gold/gray
Sheuli (coral jasmine) petals = Yellow
Elachi (cardamon) = Pink
Champa (frangipani) = Light olive green
Jhau (casuarina) leaves = Deep pink
Krishnachura (golmohur) petals = Light green
Cha (tea) leaves = Beige
Lemongrass = Light green
Tulsi leaves* = lime green
*Here we just used dried ones that had fallen on the ground for Deity's
cloth.
SKIN & ROOTS:
Haldi (tumeric) roots = Yellow/golden
Piyaz (onion) skin/peel = Orange gold
Dalim (pomegranate) rind = Khaki
Manjit(madder) stems = rust/red
BARK & SAWDUST:
Arjun (?) bark = Mauve/pink
Kanthal (jackfruit) sawdust = Yellow ochre/light yellow
Babla (babul) bark = Beige
Goran (?) bark = Salmon pink
Sundari (mangrove) bark = Deep pink
Shilkorai (rain tree) = Old gold
Patabahar (croton) bark = Pink
FRUITS & SEEDS:
Latkan (annatto) seeds = Orange
Gaab (wild mangosteen) fruit = Gray/pink
Haritaki (myrobolan) fruit = Grey/gold
Supari (betel nut) = Deep pink
EXTRACTS:
Neel (indigo) leaf extract = Deep blue (deep green)
Khair (catechu) wood extract = Brown/maroon
BLOCK PRINTING (for saris, namabolis, etc.)
We've also experimented using wooden blocks (cut with designs) and a paste
of the dye made with gum arabic (or tamarind seeds, etc.) for hand printing
on plain or dyed cloth. There's also reverse printing, wax printing,
tie-dyeing...., that we have not got into (yet).
Besides being an art, if not taken too seriously, can be fun. Always keep
notes of what you used, did and got (attach a cloth sample) so you can
reproduce if wanted.
ys, nistula dasa
From: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan - USA)
Madhava.Gosh.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 22 July 1999 20:47
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2497786 from COM]
You can be mix the raw materials to get new color
combinations or dye the cloth in one and then another color. This is only
a very small list of some of the raw materials that we have used (more or
less successfully)
I am curious. Since saffron seems to be the color of
renunciation, I would assume that the dye used to get the color is easily
available in nature. Do you happen to know what the traditional source for
that is?
From: Nistula (das) ACBSP (Sri Pundarik Dham -
Bangladesh) Nistula.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 23 July 1999 02:49
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2498286 from COM]
In India and here, the Gaudiya Math and ISKCON
'traditional' brahmacaries (those not swayed by all the new chemical
sources) generally use a mineral source locally called "garo mati",
literally "red-earth". It's an ochre colored very soft clay. I don't know
exactly where it comes from, but is readily available in shops that sell
kaviraj supplies and such items. A small piece is just tied into a cloth (to
prevent loose pieces leaving spots), dissolved into a bucket of water (hot
is best) and then the cloth is just stirred around as usual till the depth
of color desired is achieved. Quite simple - even for brahmacharies. It
gives a very soothing saffron (salmon?) color, very different from the
bright oranges and golds increasingly prevalent. Of course the mineral can
also give you very deep ochre shades if wanted (more earth - longer time).
Does this answer your question at all?
I am curious. Since saffron seems to be the color
of renunciation, I would assume that the dye used to get the color is
easily available in nature. Do you happen to know what the traditional
source for that is?
From: Samba (das) SDG (Mauritius)
Samba.SDG@bbt.se
Sent: 23 July 1999 04:53
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2498415 from COM]
Dear Nisula prabhu.
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Thanks for that extensive information. It is really good of you to share
it with us. I cant wait to get into it.
By the way, you wouldn't happen to know where alum originates would you?
Your Servant
Samba das
From: Nistula (das) ACBSP (Sri Pundarik Dham -
Bangladesh) Nistula.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 23 July 1999 12:24
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2499387 from COM]
Thanks for that extensive information. It is
really good of you to share it with us. I cant wait to get into it.
Well, at least I kept someone awake while 'boring'
thru it all... It was a rather long reply as you wrote from that wonderful
little island paradise (that I have such fond memories of) and was
thinking about those of us who do not live in the west, have visa cards or
access to amazon.com, et. al. and therefore those nice lists of wonderful
'how-to' books are wasted on us poor souls.
By the way, you wouldn't happen to know where
alum originates would you?
Sorry, not a clue...I suppose I could ask around -
but being a patron member of Procrastinators Anonymous, please don't hold
your breath.
Can anyone help with this, perhaps with some url listing mineral sources?
From: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan - USA)
Madhava.Gosh.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 23 July 1999 13:28
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2499570 from COM]
I am curious. Since saffron seems to be the
color of renunciation, I would assume that the dye used to get the color
is easily available in nature. Do you happen to know what the
traditional source for that is?
Answers it exactly. A mined mineral that is readily
available in India. Brings up, is this mineral available in America. To
implement VAD here, it seems we wouldn't want to have to be dependent on
importing from India. So the next question is, how to get that color
easily here, or, more radically, if the color is not easily available,
what color would earth friendly renunciates in the US use?
From: Rohita (Dasa) ACBSP (New Talavan MS - USA)
talavan@com.org
Sent: 23 July 1999 16:59
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2500049 from COM]
Answers it exactly. A mined mineral that is
readily available in India. Brings up, is this mineral available in
America. To implement VAD here, it seems we wouldn't want to have to be
dependent on importing from India. So the next question is, how to get
that color easily here, or, more radically, if the color is not easily
available, what color would earth friendly renunciates in the US use?
Comment:
We get a very nice ochre shade from using red clay from the local ponds.
We use a different procedure that involves wetting the cloth then rubbing
handfuls of wet clay into the cloth. Then letting it dry on the beach
(while we do a little bathing). When dry it is shaken and then rinsed a
few times. This colour lasts about two months if you do not hang it in the
direct sun. Our sun bleaches everything, most Brown Swiss here are a light
gray not a dark brown. Animals from the north that have been brought here
may come as dark brown but after a few years about 2/3 turn to the gray
version (not a slate gray but an almost white).
In the late 70's one devotee working with mahogany, collected shavings and
sawdust put in a piece of cloth tie the ends and lowered it in to a
container of very hot water and dyed his cloth a dark ochre. This colour
lasts a little longer.
Both of the above are without using any mordant to fix the colours.
ys,
Rohita dasa
Coastal Mississippi
From: Nistula (das) ACBSP (Sri Pundarik Dham -
Bangladesh) Nistula.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 24 July 1999 05:29
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2501195 from COM]
To implement VAD here, it seems we wouldn't
want to have to be dependent on importing from India. So the next
question is, how to get that color easily here, or, more radically, if
the color is not easily available, what color would earth friendly
renunciates in the US use?
Rohita Prabhu's solutions sound great. Similarly, I
prefer to avoid 'importing' the clay from India (even with it being
relatively nearby), and have used some regional clays, wood
shavings/sawdust and vegetable sources to get some hues that may not be
the 'official' one, but at least a fair approximation and look OK.
Sufficient to distinguish the brahmacharies from the householders. If
these regional variations were practiced, we could learn to tell where
visiting sanyasis and brahmacharies were from 'by the color of their
cloth':-)
ys, nistula dasa
From: Rohita (Dasa) ACBSP (New Talavan MS - USA)
talavan@com.org
Sent: 24 July 1999 20:31
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2502765 from COM]
Rohita Prabhu's solutions sound great.
Similarly, I prefer to avoid 'importing' the clay from India (even with
it being relatively nearby), and have used some regional clays, wood
shavings/sawdust and vegetable sources to get some hues that may not be
the 'official' one, but at least a fair approximation and look OK.
Sufficient to distinguish the brahmacharies from the householders. If
these regional variations were practiced, we could learn to tell where
visiting sanyasis an brahmacharies were from 'by the color of their
cloth':-)
I do not think that would be possible as from my
example we had three basic colours of saffron at New Talavan.
1. The synthetic dhotis artificial saffron.
2. Clay dyed.
3. Wood dyed.
Each of these was a different colour and varied according to how much
attention was paid by the devotee dying, so there were different shades of
those two of the three colours. No variation on the first one. Rather,
Varna will designate colour; those working with wood would tend to use the
colour from wood and so on. There would be no way that one could
distinguish where you were living. That is unless those from different
locations made an agreement to having a particular colour designated for
their location, as the villagers in the Andes do with each village having
a particular pattern on their cloth.
Ys,
Rohita dasa
From: Nistula (das) ACBSP (Sri Pundarik Dham -
Bangladesh) Nistula.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 25 July 1999 01:57
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2503327 from COM]
There would be no way that one could
distinguish where you were living. That is unless those from different
locations made an agreement to having a particular colour designated for
their location, as the villagers in the Andes do with each village
having a particular pattern on their cloth.
Yes, I kind of realized this, it was more or less a
rather bad pun:-). On the Andes thread: In the hill tracts near here (that
extend into Myanmar) there are 14 indigenous tribes, some of them would be
very difficult to distinguish from the others if they didn't each have
their traditional colored cloth dyed using easily available plant sources.
Here, I don't believe there was any formal agreement, simply a tradition
developed over many years.
ys, nistula dasa
From: Samba (das) SDG (Mauritius)
Samba.SDG@bbt.se
Sent: 25 July 1999 17:04
Subject: Re: Plant dyes for fabric
[Text 2504366 from COM]
That is unless those from different locations
made an agreement to having a particular colour designated for their
location, as the villagers in the Andes do with each village having a
particular pattern on their cloth.
Interesting. The ancient Scots also had a different
tartan pattern for many families or tribes. An educated Scotsman can tell
your lineage by the tartan you wear.
It is these kinds of things that make a tradition rich. Vaisnavism was for
many thousands of years restricted to India. Now it has spread and is
making roots in the west. Hundreds of years from now, the activities we
develop towards varnasrama community (if we ever do) will become the fixed
traditions of the world vaisnava order, with particular nuances in each
location.
Isn't that a wonderful thought!
Varnasrama dhama ki Jai!
YS
