The weather is warming and my flax crop is beginning to take off! So, I’ve spent quite a lot of time this week looking into the next steps of fiber processing so that I can try and be as prepared as possible when I begin the harvest in about a month and a half.
The harvest process is as follows:
- Harvest when stem starts to yellow and seeds turn brown
- Best to pull flax up by the root – increases fiber length and prevents sap from leaking out of the cut stalk
- Allowed to dry in open air for a few weeks
After drying:
- Threshing – removing all seeds from stalks by crushing the seed pods
- Retting – separating the xylem and phloem of the plant by breaking down the pectins through prolonged exposure to moisture
- Curing – drying after retting for a few weeks
- Scutching – scraping woody parts away from the fiber with a small, wooden knife
- Heckling – combing the fibers through a bed of nails in order to further separate the outer shell and finish off the process
My plans:
I think it is going to be a little bit tricky to get the timing right in order to be able to complete the process in time for the end of summer quarter. But, if everything goes well I think I can orchestrate it to where it works out perfectly.
Earliest possible harvest date: July 10
Drying: until August 1
Threshing: done by August 2
Retting: tank retting, done by August 6
Curing: until August 22
Scutching & Heckling: August 23
Spinning & Weaving: August 24 – 27