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June 19, 2008
Linen
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* The fiber in its un-spun state is called Flax (Linum). After it is spun into yarn it becomes Linen.
Production history: Up until the 1950s or so the finest linen yarn was made in Scotland, Ireland (Irish linen), Holland, Northern France, and Belgium. The climates of these locations were ideal for natural processing methods called "retting": the removal of the gummy resin which binds together the flax fibers in the long stems of the flax plant. In Ireland and Scotland the retting took place in retting dams and rivers, and could lead to pollution. In continental Europe where temperatures are higher, dew retting in the fields could take place, this was favoured from an environmental viewpoint.
Uses: Linen will withstand washing in hot water and scrubbing, and can be bleached by spreading it in the sun to dry. These properties led to its use from the early Middle Ages for underwear, shirts, chemises, and other clothing worn next to the body (collectively called "body linen"), and also for sheets and pillowcases, napkins, and tablecloths. Although these are now often made of cotton or synthetic fibers, they are still called "linens," "bed linens," and "table linens."
Linen is also used for cloth, canvases, sails, tents, and even for books (the only surviving example of which is the Liber Linteus). Due to its strength, in the Middle Ages linen was used for shields and gambeson. Also because of its strength when wet, Irish linen is the best wrap of pool/billiard cues, due to its absorption of sweat from hands. Paper made of linen can be very strong and crisp, which is why the United States and many other countries print their currency on linen-based paper.
Quality: Linen is available in different qualities varying from almost silk-like to sack-linen. Linen is usually white to ivory, may be washed at 95°C, and should be ironed when damp. The natural color of unbleached linen is ecru. 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 a very consistent diameter with no slubs. From Wikipedia.org
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Zeta by Lang, made in Italy 
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In our opinion, 100% linen is rough. Content of cotton makes a linen yarn softer and more pleasant for the skin. Zeta is a classic, intimate cotton-linen blend (cotoline) with the softness of high quality cotton and "linen look".
Yarn Code: LA018
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More patterns for Zeta from Verena magazine: Etno Sweater (Zeta and Lido) | V-neck with collar |
 33, Pearl Grey |
 80, Plum |
 98, Moss |
 39, Linen (Ecru) |