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Torn linen cloth, recovered from the Dead Sea
Torn linen cloth, recovered from the Dead Sea

Linen is a material made from the fibers of the flax plant. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum

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Flax fiber

The term "linen" refers to yarn and fabric made from flax fibers; however, today it is often used as a generic term to describe a class of woven bed, bath, table and kitchen textiles because traditionally linen was so widely used for towels, sheets, etc. Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum In the past, the word also referred to lightweight undergarments such as shirts, chemises, waistshirts, lingerie, and detachable shirt collars and cuffs. Linens were manufactured almost exclusively of fibers from the flax plant Linum usitatissimum. But textiles made of cotton, hemp, and other plant fibers have also been referred to as 'linen' which can make the exact referent of the term somewhat unclear. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp This article is about the cultivation and uses of industrial hemp not its psychoactive cousin Cannabis (drug.

Highly absorbent and a good conductor of heat, linen fabric feels cool to the touch. Linen is the strongest of the vegetable fibers with 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton. Fiber crops are field crops grown for their Fibers which are used to make Paper, Cloth, or Rope. It is smooth, making the finished fabric lint free, and gets softer the more it is washed. However, constant creasing in the same place in sharp folds will tend to break the linen threads. This wear can show up in collars, hems, and any area that is iron creased during laundering. Linen has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily explaining why it wrinkles so easily.

Linen textiles may be the oldest in the world. Their history goes back many thousands of years. Fragments of straw, seeds, fibers, yarns and various types of fabrics which date back to about 8000 B.C. have been found in Swiss lake dwellings. Linen was used in the Mediterranean in the pre-Christian age. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Linen was sometimes used as currency in ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen because it was seen as a symbol of light and purity, and as a display of wealth. A mummy is a Corpse whose Skin and Flesh have been preserved by either intentional or Incidental exposure to Chemicals extreme Some of these fabrics, woven from hand spun yarns, were extremely fine and cannot be matched by modern spinning techniques.

Today linen is usually an expensive textile and is produced in relatively small quantities. It has a long "staple" (individual fiber length) relative to cotton and other natural fibers. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Fibers or fibres (see spelling differences) is a class of hair-like Materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces similar [1]

Description of flax fibers

Flax fibres vary in length from about 25 to 150 centimeters (18 to 55 in) and average 12-16 micrometers in diameter. A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. A micrometre ( American spelling: micrometer; symbol µm) is one millionth of a Metre, or equivalently one thousandth of a Millimetre There are two varieties: shorter tow fibres used for coarser fabrics and longer line fibres used for finer fabrics. Flax fibers can be identified by their typical “nodes” which add to the flexibility and texture of the fabric. The cross-section of the fibre is made up of irregular polygonal shapes which contribute to the coarse texture of the fabric. [2]

Properties of flax

Linen fabrics have a high natural luster and their natural color ranges between shades of ivory, ecru, tan, or grey. Ecru describes the shade greyish-pale yellow or a light greyish-yellowish brown Pure white linen is created by heavy bleaching. Linen typically has a thick and thin character with a crisp and textured feel to it, but can range from stiff and rough to soft and smooth. When adequately prepared, linen has the ability to absorb and lose water rapidly. It can gain up to 20% moisture without feeling damp.

When freed from impurities it is highly absorbent and will quickly remove perspiration from the skin. Linen is a stiff fabric and is less likely to cling to the skin and when it billows away it tends to dry out and become cool so that the skin is being continually touched by a cool surface. It is a very durable, strong fabric and one of the few that are stronger wet than dry. It does not stretch and is resistant to damage from abrasion. However, because it has very low elasticity it can break if it is folded at the same place repeatedly. Mildew, perspiration, and bleach can also damage the fabric, but it is resistant to moths and carpet beetles. Linen is relatively easy to take care of since it resists dirt and stains, has no lint or pilling tendency and can be dry cleaned, machine washed or steamed. It can withstand high temperatures and yields only moderate initial shrinkage. [2] Linen wrinkles very easily and must be ironed often to maintain smoothness. It should not be dried too much by tumble drying, and is much easier to iron when damp. Nevertheless this tendency to wrinkle is often considered part of the fabric's particular "charm".

A characteristic often associated with linen yarn is the presence of "slubs", or small knots that occur randomly along its length. However, these are actually defects associated with low quality. The finest linen has very consistent diameter threads with no slubs.

Measure

The standard measure of bulk linen yarn is the lea. This is a specific length, or indirect grist system, i. e. the number of length units per unit mass. A yarn having a size of 1 lea will give 300 yards per pound. The fine yarns used in handkerchiefs, etc. might be 40 lea, and give 40x300 = 12,000 yards per pound. The symbol is NeL. (3)

More commonly used in continental Europe is the Metric system, Nm. This is the number of 1,000 m lengths per kilogram.

In China, the English Cotton system unit, NeC, is common. This is the number of 840 yard lengths in a pound.

Production method

The quality of the finished linen product is often dependent upon growing conditions and harvesting techniques. To generate the longest possible fibers, flax is either hand-harvested by pulling up the entire plant or stalks are cut very close to the root. After harvesting, the seeds are removed through a mechanized process called “rippling” or by winnowing. Wind winnowing is an agricultural method developed by ancient cultures for separating grain from Chaff.

The fibers must then be loosened from the stalk. This is achieved through retting which uses bacteria to decompose the pectin that binds the fibers together. Retting is a stage in the manufacturing of vegetable fibers, especially the Bast fibers It is a process that employs water and microbial action to separate the bast There are natural retting methods that occur in tanks and pools or directly in the fields. There are also chemical retting methods which are faster but are typically more harmful to the environment and to the fibers themselves.

At this point, the stalks are ready for “scutching” which takes place between August and December. Scutching removes the woody portion of the stalk by crushing them between two metal rollers so that the parts of the stalk can be separated. The fibers are removed and the other parts such as linseed, shive, and tow are set aside for other uses. Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum In the Composites Industry, a tow is an untwisted Bundle of continuous filaments and it refers to human-made Fibers particularly The short fibers are separated with heckling combs by 'combing' them away, to leave behind only the long, soft flax fibers. Heckling combs are used to remove the fibrous core and impurities from Flax.

After the fibers have been separated and processed, they are typically spun into yarns and woven or knit into linen textiles. These textiles can then be bleached, dyed, printed on, or finished with a number of treatments or coatings. [2] [3]

An alternate production method is known as “cottonizing” which is quicker and requires less equipment. The flax stalks are processed using traditional cotton machinery; however, the finished fibers often lose the characteristic linen look.

See also: hand processing flax

Producers

Flax is grown in many parts of the world, but top quality flax is primarily grown in Western Europe. Textile manufacturing is one of the oldest human industries The oldest known Textiles date back to about 5000 B In very recent years bulk linen production has moved to Eastern Europe and China, but high quality fabrics are still confined to niche producers in Ireland, Italy and Belgium.

Uses

Over the past 30 years the end use for linen has changed dramatically. Approximately 70% of linen production in the 1990s was for apparel textiles whereas in the 1970s only about 5% was used for fashion fabrics.

Linen uses range from bed and bath fabrics (table cloths, dish towels, bed sheets, etc. ), home and commercial furnishing items (wallpaper/wall coverings, upholstery, window treatments, etc. ), apparel items (suits, dresses, skirts, shirts, etc. ), to industrial products (luggage, canvases, sewing thread, etc. ). [1] It was once the preferred yarn for handsewing the uppers of moccasin-style shoes (loafers), but its use has been replaced by synthetics. The word Moccasin originates from the Algonquian language Powhatan word makasin (cognate to Massachusett mohkisson/mokussin, Loafers aka penny loafers are low leather step-in Shoes usually with moccasin construction with broad flat Heels They first appeared in the

A linen handkerchief, pressed and folded to display the corners, was a standard decoration of a well-dressed man's suit during most of the first part of the 20th century.

Currently researchers are working on a cotton/flax blend to create new yarns which will improve the feel of denim during hot and humid weather. [4]

Linen fabric is one of the preferred traditional supports for oil painting. Oil painting is the process of painting with Pigments that are bound with a medium of Drying oil — especially in early modern Europe Linseed oil In the United States cotton is popularly used instead as linen is many times more expensive there, restricting its use to professional painters. In Europe however, linen is usually the only fabric support available in art shops. Linen is preferred to cotton for its strength, durability and archival integrity. An archive refers to a collection of historical records and also refers to the location in which these records are kept

In the past linen was also used for books (the only surviving example of which is the Liber Linteus). The Liber Linteus Zagrabiensis (also rarely known as Liber Agramensis) ( Latin: Linen Book of Zagreb or Book of Agram Due to its strength, in the Middle Ages linen was used for shields and gambeson, much like how in Classical antiquity and Hellenistic Greece linen was used to make multi-plied Hoplite cuirasses. A shield is a protective device meant to intercept attacks The term often refers to a device that is held in the hand as opposed to Armour or a Bullet proof vest A gambeson (or aketon or padded jack) is a padded defensive Jacket, worn as Armour separately or combined with mail or Plate Classical antiquity (also the classical era or classical period) is a broad term for a long period of cultural History centered on the Mediterranean This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. The word hoplite ( Greek: hoplitēs; pl hoplitai) derives from hoplon ( plural hopla) meaning an item of armour or equipment thus 'hoplite' Cuirass ( French cuirasse, Latin coriaceus, made of leather from corium, the original breastplate being of Leather) the Also because of its strength when wet, Irish linen is a very popular wrap of pool/billiard cues, due to its absorption of sweat from hands. Irish Linen is the tenth of the Nuala Anne McGrail series of mystery novels by Roman Catholic Priest and Author Father Paper made of linen can be very strong and crisp, which is why the United States and many other countries print their currency on paper that is made from 25% linen and 75% cotton.

Linen's history

Linen has been used for table coverings, bed coverings and clothing for centuries. The exclusivity of linen stems from the fact that it is difficult and time consuming to produce (flax in itself requires a great deal of attention in its growth). Flax is difficult to weave because of its lack of elasticity, and therefore is more expensive to manufacture than cotton. The benefits of linen however, are unmatched.

Due to the parallel arrangement of its fibers, linen is a stronger, sturdier fabric than cotton. In addition, linen is highly absorbent (perfect for dish towels and napkins). Due to its insulating qualities, linen coverings (such as smocks) provide cooling benefits, ideal for warm kitchens. The subtle combination of firmness and softness of linen make this fabric a favorite.

Linen can be machine-washed (and grows softer with time and use) and then ironed while still damp with a hot iron. Linen products tend to outlast cotton, enduring up to 20 years of use.

The Living Linen Project was set up in 1995 as an Oral Archive of the knowledge of the Irish linen industry still available within a nucleus of people who were formerly working in the industry in Ulster . The Living Linen Project was set up in 1995 as an oral archive of the knowledge of the Irish linen industry still available within a nucleus of people who were formerly working Irish Linen is the tenth of the Nuala Anne McGrail series of mystery novels by Roman Catholic Priest and Author Father There is a long history of linen in Ireland.

The use of linen for priestly vestments was not confined to the Israelites, but from Plutarch, who lived and wrote one hundred years after the birth of Christ, we know that also the priests of Isis wore linen because of its purity.

The antiquity of linen

When the tomb of the Pharaoh Ramesses II, who died 1213 BC, was discovered in 1881, the linen wrappings were in a state of perfect preservation - after more than 3000 years.

In the Belfast Library there is preserved the mummy of "Kaboolie,' the daughter of a priest of Ammon, who died 2,500 years ago. The linen on this mummy is in a like state of perfection. When the tomb of Tutankamen was opened, the linen curtains were found intact.

Earliest linen industry

In olden days, in almost every country, each family grew flax and wove the linen for its own use; but the earliest records of an established linen industry are 4,000 years old, and come to us from Egypt. The earliest written documentation of a linen industry comes from the Linear B tablets of Pylos, Greece, where linen is depicted as an ideogram and also written as "ri-no" (Greek: λίνον, linon), and the female linen workers are catalogued as "ri-ne-ja" (λίνεια, lineia)[5][6]. Linear B is a script that was used for writing Mycenaean, an early form of Greek. This article is about the Greek geographical feature and town Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία An ideogram or ideograph (from Greek idea "idea" + grafo "to write" is a Graphic symbol that represents an Idea Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly

The Phoenicians, who, with their merchant fleet, opened up new channels of commerce to the peoples of the Mediterranean, besides developing the tin mines of Cornwall, introduced flax growing and the making of linen into Ireland before the birth of Christ, but the internal dissensions, which even in those early days were prevalent in Erin, militated against the establishment of an organized industry, and it is not until the twelfth century that we can find records of a definite attempt to systematize flax production. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " Erin is a Hiberno-English derivative of the Irish word "Éirinn"

When the Edict of Nantes was revoked, in A. D. 1695, many of the Huguenots who had to flee the country settled in the British Isles, and amongst them was Louis Crommelin, who was born, and brought up as a weaver of fine linen, in the town of Cambrai. Cambrai (Dutch Kamerijk; old spelling Cambray) is a French town and commune, in the Nord département, He fled to Ulster, and eventually settled down in the small town of Lisburn, about ten miles from Belfast. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland.

During the late war Cambrai became well known as one of the centers of the most desperate fighting. The name "cambric" is derived from this town.

Although the linen industry was already established in Ulster, Louis Crommelin found scope for improvement in weaving, and his efforts were so successful that he was appointed by the Government to develop the industry over a much wider range . than the small confines of Lisburn and its surroundings. The direct result of his good work was the establishment, under statute, of the Board of Trustees of the Linen Manufacturers of Ireland in the year 1711.

Religion

In the Jewish religion, the only law concerning what fabrics which may be used in clothing is the mixture of linen and wool. This mixture is called shaatnez and is clearly restricted in Deuteronomy 22:11 "Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together" and Leviticus 19:19, "'. Shatnez (or Sh'atnez/Shaatnez) (שעטנז is the Jewish law derived from the Torah that prohibits the wearing of a garment containing both interwoven . . neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together. '" There is no explanation for this in the Torah and any attempt to explain the restriction is generally considered futile. This is a type of law known as hukim, a statute beyond man's ability to comprehend. [7]

Linguistic note

The word linen is derived from the Latin for the flax plant, which is linum, and the earlier Greek linon. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly This word history has given rise to a number of other terms:

In addition, the term in English, flaxen-haired, denoting a very light, bright blonde, comes from a comparison to the color of raw flax fiber. This article is about the fiber product For the type of joke see Shaggy dog story. Liniment, (or embrocation from the Latin linere, to Anoint, is a medicated topical preparation for application to the skin Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species Leather is a material created through the Tanning of hides and Skins of Animals primarily Cattlehide The Tanning process Lingerie is a term for fashionable and alluring women's Undergarments It derives from the French word linge, "washables" — as in faire le linge Linseed oil, also known as flax seed oil or simply flax oil, is a clear to yellowish Drying oil derived from the dried ripe seeds of the Flax Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum Linoleum is a Floor covering made from solidified Linseed oil (linoxyn in combination with Wood flour or cork dust over a Burlap or Canvas English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Blond (also spelled blonde, see below) or fair-haired is a Hair color characterized by low levels of the dark Pigment eumelanin

External links

References

  1. ^ a b Textiles, Ninth Edition by Sara J. Kadolph and Anna L. Langford. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
  2. ^ a b c Classifications & Analysis of Textiles: A Handbook by Karen L. LaBat, Ph. D. and Carol J. Salusso, Ph. A. University of Minnesota, 2003
  3. ^ www.allfiberarts.com
  4. ^ “Flax Fiber Offers Cotton Cool Comfort”, Agricultural Research magazine November 2005 issue
  5. ^ Flax and Linen Textiles in the Mycenaean palatial economy
  6. ^ [1]
  7. ^ The Jewish Primer, by Shmuel Himelstein. New York, NY: Facts On File, 1990.

Dictionary

linen

-noun

  1. (uncountable) Thread or cloth made from flax fiber.
  2. (countable) Domestic textiles made from linen or linen-like fabrics, such as tablecloths, bedding, towels, and the such.
  3. (colour) A light beige colour, like that of linen cloth.
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