Flax Spinning
Aperçu des sections
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Sowing:
Flax was traditionally planted in October, along with the first rains, as with all cereals. It wasn't common to sow it in spring because it is susceptible to damping-off disease. Before sowing, the farmer would mix the seeds with soil in a sack and then scatter them in the field. With this technique, they achieved uniform sowing, preventing dense plant growth!
During its growth, flax goes through various stages of development. Initially, it produces thin, shiny green leaves that later may take on a hue depending on the variety. As the plant matures, its stem becomes sturdier and taller, forming a slender, tall, and light-colored stem. This stem can be relatively thin yet resilient. Flax then develops flowers. Its blossom is small and of a light blue hue. When the wind blows, it creates beautiful undulations, resembling the sea. The people of Crete likened blooming flax to a field of the sea.
During its growth, flax can develop a stem that appears quite dense and large, especially when it reaches the final stage of its development. The root of flax is slightly thick and penetrates vertically into the soil. Besides the main root, there are also some thin hairs that extend laterally. The fruit of flax is concentrated within a small capsule that is about the size of a chickpea. Inside, the flaxseed is found, which is the seed used for the reproduction of the plant.
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Harvesting:
Flax harvesting typically occurs after the plant has dried out. Around April or May, when the flax takes on a beautiful golden hue, the harvesting process begins. Usually, the plants are cut close to the ground—essentially pulled up—because cutting them would damage the fiber.
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Flax Processing:
After pulling up the flax plants, they were bundled together, as much as could fit into the handfuls of two hands. They were lightly shaken to remove any soil from the roots, and then they were tied together with the flax itself.
Afterward, they let them dry before extracting their useful parts. Once the flax had dried well, they took each bundle and placed it with the side that had the 'heads' on top of a stone. With a wooden mallet, they lightly pounded the heads to break them and release the flaxseed. Pounding the flax to remove the seed had to be done carefully to avoid breaking and rendering it unusable.
Flax has a central woody part and an outer fibrous part. To rid it of the woody part, which is useless and can hinder the spinning process, growers submerged the flax bundles in water for 15 to 25 days until the woody bark of the flax rotted well. The soaking of flax could be done either in water tanks, rivers, or seas. They used to "stone" the flax, meaning they placed heavy stones or logs on top of it to ensure it remained submerged in water. This process, helped to separate the fibers from the woody part of the flax, making the fibers more flexible and suitable for further processing and spinning.
Then they removed them from the water and stacked them upright in the sun to dry for approximately 10 to 15 days. After drying the flax, a series of processing steps follows until only the clean fibers remain, which can then be spun into yarn.