Strick Flax for Handspinning

New! Flax Strick for Handspinning

Stricks about 180g or 6 ounces.

Price $2.25 per ounce

For orders of a full pound or more, $2 per ounce ($32/pound)

After searching for two years for a source for hackled flax in strick form suitable for spinning on hand operated spinning wheels or spindles, The Woolgatherers are please to announce the availability of flax fiber for handspinners.

Our flax stricks come from the Nile Delta - where the fiber is grown and processed, finally hackled - by a co-operative of flax growers using machinery originally used in the production of flax fibers in Europe.

Each strick weighs about 180g or 6 ounces. The fibers are long (24-26") and fine enough to spin yarns easily from an 8 lea to an 11 lea (2400 to 3300 yards per pound). Yarns of this weight produce medium weight fabric for clothing, towels and other household uses.

We have tested the fiber and sent some samples to other spinners - the unanimous reaction has been, wow, this is easy to dress on the distaff and spins in a way that is totally addicting. There is not much tendency for the fiber to form rats nests or other tangles, and when spun with water, smooths into a yarn that can be used for weaving without further processing.

This flax fiber has been water retted and retains some characteristic smell of water retted flax. It is the same as what we have when we've done a batch in our back yard. During the spinning process it will diminish and after wet finishing woven fabrics it will disappear.

Here is a typical sample strick, as packaged.

To open, carefully find the ends of each winding. The side that is a little brown is the seed end. The light colored wrap is the root end.	Opened strick, still twisted. Handle with care to avoid tangling the fibers before placing on distaff.It is best not to put more than 2 or 3 ounces of fiber on the distaff. At this point, carefully separate the fibers lengthwise into two or three bundles of fiber. Carefully wind the bundles to be stored back into twisted strick form.

Opened strick. The length of fibers lifted from the strick is 24-26".	Sample skeins. The two at the top from one of our testers and the lower one from me (Sara von Tresckow). The yarn appearance and quality is pretty much the same.

Sized skein of yarn used in sample weaving. From skein pictured above.	A small finished woven sample. Plain weave, 20 epi (8/cm). No warp breakage in the sample. Little or no stickiness.

Detail of woven fabric with no finishing.	Shrinkage was only in the width.

Results of woven fabric test with various finishing techniques.

To order strick, please use our Inquiry Form. We will weight out stricks to match your desired quantity as closely as possible.	Orders will be shipped the most economical way with an invoice enclosed. Preferred payment method is check.