[Northkeep] Fabric Weight question

[Anthony Lackey]

    I agree, linen is wonderful and can't be beat (except maybe by silk),
however there is another factor which should be remembered when buying online:
    The "hand" of the fabric can be very important in making garb.  The hand
refers to lifting the fabric draped over the open palm and fingers to see how it
drapes and falls.  Some linen has a very soft hand and falls in soft pleats
directly from the edge of your hand.  Others are more stiff and have more body.
Both are perfectly ok for garb, but if you have a particular type of garment in
mind, the hand can be important in how the garment fits and hangs.  Linen or
other fabrics with a stiff hand are not well suited for some types of garb and
very good for others.
    There is a good linen site that Anawyn knows of (can't remember the URL just
now) that tells what kind of hand the linen has.  But for me nothing quite beats
holding it myself.

Catrin