The results of research on the most effective way to obtain fiber from our Polish nettle Urtica dioica.
Collecting nettles – 13 hours
The total working time until obtaining the fiber ready for spinning: 103.6 hours
Spinning: 17 hours, splitting 2 hours
Washing of yarn, drying, etc: 3hours
Weaving: 26 hours (weaving loom and weaving)
Working time 165 hours.
I got the most beautiful nettle fiber from the soaked nettles, it was strong and shiny, although it was relatively small amount.
The most efficient method turned out to be retting, about 4 weeks.
Acquiring fiber from green nettle, although the fastest at the fiber removal stage – still required a lot of action, and the fiber itself was very delicate, making it more difficult to spin.
| Nr | Nettle weight | place | How prepared | time to prepare the fiber (hours) | Fiber weight | yield:fiber weight / nettle weight before preparation | efficiency: yield / time | Quality, scale of 0-5 | quality * efficiency |
| 1Z | 1130 | gorge near the house | boiled in soap petals | 3 | 20 | 1,77 | 0,59 | 1 | 0,59 |
| 1R | 1130 | gorge near the house | retting 3 weeks | 3 | 17 | 1,50 | 0,50 | 2 | 1,00 |
| 1M | 1130 | gorge near the house | soaking 3 days | 3 | 18 | 1,59 | 0,53 | 4 | 2,12 |
| 2R | 720 | near the road | retting 2 weeks | 2,8 | 11 | 1,53 | 0,55 | 3 | 1,64 |
| 2M | 730 | near the road | soaking 4 days | 3 | 9 | 1,23 | 0,41 | 5 | 2,05 |
| 2Z | 600 | refinery | boiling in ash 2x2hours | 3 | 14 | 2,33 | 0,78 | 3 | 2,33 |
| 3R | 2000 | field | retting 4 weeks | 4 | 44 | 2,20 | 0,55 | 4 | 2,20 |
| 4R | 1062 | dry roadside positions, stems slightly red | retting 4 weeks | 3 | 28 | 2,64 | 0,88 | 3 | 2,64 |
| 4M | 1027 | dry roadside positions, stems slightly red | soaking 3 days | 3,5 | 17 | 1,66 | 0,47 | 5 | 2,36 |
| 5Z | 998 | 1.5 m long, whole green stems, very wet position | retting 4 weeks | 3 | 15 | 1,50 | 0,50 | 4 | 2,00 |
| 5R | 967 | 1.5 m long, whole green stems, very wet position | retted 4 weeks | 3 | 18 | 1,86 | 0,62 | 4 | 2,48 |
| 5M | 1200 | 1.5 m long, whole green stems, very wet position | soaking 3 days – | 3,5 | 21 | 1,75 | 0,50 | 5 | 2,50 |
| 8aR | 800 | roadside moist positions | retting 4 weeks | 3 | 13 | 1,63 | 0,54 | 4 | 2,17 |
| 8aR | 700 | roadside moist positions | retting 5 weeks | 2,5 | 5 | 0,71 | 0,29 | 1 | 0,29 |
| 8aR | 1200 | roadside moist positions | retting 4 weeks | 3,5 | 19 | 1,58 | 0,45 | 4 | 1,81 |
| 8bM | 2000 | roadside moist positions | soaking 4 days | 4 | 26 | 1,30 | 0,33 | 5 | 1,63 |
| 8bM | 1200 | roadside moist positions | soaking 3 days – changed water every day | 3 | 31 | 2,58 | 0,86 | 5 | 4,31 |
| 8cZ | 2700 | roadside moist positions | boiled in ash 2x2hours | 4 | 46 | 1,70 | 0,43 | 4 | 1,70 |
| 9aM | 1120 | roadside, rather dry positions | soaking 3 days – changed water every day | 3 | 9 | 0,80 | 0,27 | 5 | 1,34 |
| 9bM | 1280 | roadside, rather dry positions | soaking 3 days – changed water every day | 3,5 | 12 | 0,94 | 0,27 | 5 | 1,34 |
| 10R | 2100 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 3,5 | 33 | 1,57 | 0,45 | 5 | 2,24 |
| 11aR | 1076 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 3 | 19 | 1,77 | 0,59 | 4 | 2,35 |
| 11bR | 1920 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 3 | 24 | 1,25 | 0,42 | 4 | 1,67 |
| 11cR | 2210 | meadow | retting 3weeks | 3,7 | 13 | 0,59 | 0,16 | 3 | 0,48 |
| 11dR | 1779 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 2,8 | 22 | 1,24 | 0,44 | 4 | 1,77 |
| 11eR | 2580 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 4 | 49 | 1,90 | 0,47 | 4 | 1,90 |
| 11fR | 1750 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 2,5 | 28 | 1,60 | 0,64 | 4 | 2,56 |
| 11gR | 3130 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 3,5 | 40 | 1,28 | 0,37 | 4 | 1,46 |
| 11hR | 2340 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 3,5 | 28 | 1,20 | 0,34 | 4 | 1,37 |
| 11iR | 1890 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 2,6 | 21 | 1,11 | 0,43 | 4 | 1,71 |
| 11Jr | 2100 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 2,6 | 27 | 1,29 | 0,49 | 4 | 1,98 |
| 11kR | 2100 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 2,6 | 26 | 1,24 | 0,48 | 4 | 1,90 |
| 12R | 1800 | meadow | retting 4 weeks | 2 | 22 | 1,22 | 0,61 | 4 | 2,44 |
