Growing and Processing Flax and Other Fibres

Join us for a day of flax and plant fibre processing at Hardwick Estate in Oxfordshire. 

During the day we will:

Look at growing flax and discuss sowing, caring for and harvesting on a small scale.

Consider other fibre plants that can be grown in the UK, try a selection of foraged materials including nettle, lime bast and red cedar that are suitable for making cordage or small stitched baskets and containers.

Discuss and look at examples of different retting methods for obtaining fibres from flax, nettle and hemp and have a go at hand processing retted flax fibres (breaking, scutching and hackling) to obtain both line and tow fibres for spinning.

Dress a distaff and try spinning flax thread on a drop spindle.