[Northkeep] What weight linen do I need?

Miriam Cook zahavabathannah at yahoo.com
Fri Sep 21 08:54:01 PDT 2007


Thank you SO much! 
   
  Can you suggest a good place online to buy the good (long fiber) linen? These pieces that I am having made I'd like to have a long while-- God alone knows when I will invest in more good garb.

Jennifer Carlson <talana1 at hotmail.com> wrote:
  
----------------------------------------> From: gassion_de_beaumarchais at hotmail.com> To: northkeep at lists.ansteorra.org> Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:18:53 -0500> Subject: Re: [Northkeep] What weight linen do I need?>> I may be wrong here but weight may not be the best method of determining the> fabric you need. I would recommend a high thread count for winter wear and> high durability and somewhat less for warmer weather. Shirt sleeves tend to> get a lot of wear and need the extra, so heavier is better in that respect.> Some heavy linens have thick threads but a poor weave that may not be what> your looking for. I can't say what thread count is best but anything near> 100 should do.>> Lord Gassion de Beaumarchais> Cadet to Don James Francis Navarre>> Control thyself, or be ruled by another...>>> -----Original Message-----> From: northkeep-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org> [mailto:northkeep-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of Miriam Cook> Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 8:48
 AM> To: northkeep at lists.ansteorra.org> Subject: [Northkeep] What weight linen do I need?>>> So I am (finally) getting some good garb made for Alex and Aaron and I....> and I want to buy the linen and the wool. I *think* I want a pair of wool> slopes and wool and a pair of linen chausses (with linen braies) for> bottoms. Then maybe a linen Saint Louis shirt for each of us. I'm pretty> much lost from there... So... here's my question-- what weight linen do I> need? I see everything from 3.5oz to 7.5oz and have no idea what is what.> Also... what KIND of wool do I need for pants?>> Thanks for any advise,>> Zahava> _______________________________________________> Northkeep mailing list> Northkeep at lists.ansteorra.org> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/northkeep-ansteorra.org>> _______________________________________________> Northkeep mailing list> Northkeep at lists.ansteorra.org> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/northkeep-ansteorra.org

Warning! You caught me in a chatty mood this morning, so I'm going to dump some fiber info on you.


The durability of a fabric is imparted by how the fibers lie and the tightness of the twist. 

Wool: In a worsted, the fibers are combed to all lie in the same direction, then spun up tightly - think of rope. In a woolen, the fibers are carded (think cotton candy) then spun. The latter produces yarn and fabric that have a lot of "loft" and softness, but because of their composition, are not going to put up with rubbing, such as you get under the arm of a doublet or between the thighs of your trews. Woolens can be made more durable by felting or heavy fulling, as with coat wools, but that often makes the fabric too bulky for pants and doublets.

Nor does thread count necessarily correspond to the warmth or coolness of a fabric. Tropical wools (yes there is such a thing) and summer suit wools are worsteds with very high thread counts. But they are also very light, and because worsted does not have a lot of loft, heat slips through more readily - it "breathes." A woolen of the same weight, will have a lower thread count, but its loft insulates, and holds heat better. 

With linen fabric, the lighter weight fabrics will not be as durable simply because they are thinner and often, yes, have a looser weave. But looser weave does not always equal inferior. You see:

Flax fibers can be up to a meter long so so. The longer the fiber, the stronger and more abade-resistent the resulting yarn (analogous to worsted yarns). The highest quality linens, Irish and Belgian (which is frequently Irish flax exported to Belgium for processing) are made of the longer fibers. That's why they have a slick, "leathery" feel and a glassy look when ironed. That's what also makes them so expensive. And properly cared for, will last a long time. Think of antique lace, which is made of the highest quality flax fibers.

There are very good linens that are more affordable, which still have long-longish fibers, and are durable enough for hard SCA wear. The linens that are not going to hold up are the very cheap ones. They may be truly 100% linen, but are made of short fibers - broken fibers, or fibers obtained thorugh harsh chemical processes that weaken them. Shorter fibers equal weaker yarn. If you're in a fabric store, you can check for this by rubbing up a bit of the fabric between your hands, then hold a fold of it up to the light. If you see a line of fuzz, you've got shorter fibers. If you see hardly any, you're good. (Note: you have to rub the fabric up in order to loosen up the sizing the manufacturer puts on the cloth to make it look pretty. Sizing is like starch, and rumpling and rubbing the fabric will loosen it)

There are also ways to keep your linen serviceable longer. For starters, don't machine dry it. Let it hang dry. Don't leave it folded for months on end. Take it out and refold it in different directions occasionally. Or, store the fabric or garment rolled loosely. Linen has a tendency to weaken along fold lines, which is why your collars and cuffs are the first places to wear out. (Note: you will want to machine dry it when you prewash it to get it to shrink as much as possible. Linen will shrink at about the same rate as cotton. Also, if it is *too* stiff or scratchy the first time you wear it, run it through the dryer with a pair of tennis shoes to pound the fibers a bit. Once you get it as loosened up as you want, then only hang-dry it).)

Avoid exposing your linen to acid. It prefers the alkalai side of the PH scale, which is why linen has survived in Egypt from the days of the Pharoahs, but not so much in the peat bogs of Ireland. It can take bleaching, but make sure you wash it to get the acids of your sweat or spilled lemonade out after an event. They won't eat your shirt immediately, but will over time weaken it.

I have a linen gown I've been wearing for over ten years now. I've had to restitch the underarm seams several times as the polyester-core sewing thread has given out, but the fabric is still going strong. The cuffs are finally starting to fray out, so I'll have to rehem the sleeves. 

Need to get back to work now.


Talana


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