Linen
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Image:Cloth2.jpg Linen is a material made from the fibers of the flax (and historically, cannabis) plant.
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Flax fiber
Today the word "linen" is descriptive of a class of woven textiles used in homes as towels, sheets, and tablecloths. In the past the word also referred to lightweight undergarments like shirts, chemises, waistshirts, lingerie, and detachable shirt collars and cuffs. Modern linens are typically manufactured of natural fibers like cotton, silk, modal, and (sometimes) flax, as well as synthetic fibers including polyester, rayon, etc. Historically, linens were manufactured almost exclusively of fibers from the flax plant ("linum usitatisimum") but also hemp, cotton and/or a blend of these fibers. Flax fiber is strong when both wet and dry, durable, cool to the skin, and resistant to rotting in damp climates. It is one of the few textiles that has a greater breaking strength wet than dry. It has a long "staple" (individual fiber length) relative to cotton and other natural fibers.
The fiber in its un-spun state is called flax. After it is spun into yarn it becomes linen.
Measure
The standard measure of bulk linen yarn is the lea. This is a specific length, or indirect grist system, i.e. the number of length units per unit mass. A yarn having a size of 1 lea will give 300 yards per pound. The fine yarns used in handkerchiefs, etc. might be 60 lea, and give 60x300 = 18,000 yards per pound. The symbol is NeL.
More commonly used in continental Europe is the Metric system, Nm. This is the number of 1,000 m lengths per kilogram.
In China they often tend to use the English Cotton system, NeC. This is the number of 840 yard lengths in a pound.
Production history
Up until the 1950s or so the finest linen yarn was made in Scotland, Ireland (Irish linen), Holland, Northern France, and Belgium. The climates of these locations were ideal for natural processing methods called "retting": the removal of the gummy resin which binds together the flax fibers in the long stems of the flax plant. In Ireland and Scotland the retting took place in retting dams and rivers, and could lead to pollution. In continental Europe where temperatures are higher, dew retting in the fields could take place, this was favoured from an environmental viewpoint.
As years went by many of the finest factories in those areas closed, and most linen is currently made in China.
The decrease in use of linen may be attributed to the industrialization of cotton production--a cheaper fiber--, the increasing quality of synthetic fibers, and a decreasing appreciation of buyers for very high quality yarn and fabric that wrinkles easily and requires high-temperature ironing while damp. Very little top-quality linen is produced now, and most is used in low volume applications like hand weaving, as an art material, or in expensive table and bed linens.
Uses
Linen will withstand washing in hot water and scrubbing, and can be bleached by spreading it in the sun to dry. These properties led to its use from the early Middle Ages for underwear, shirts, chemises, and other clothing worn next to the body (collectively called "body linen"), and also for sheets and pillowcases, napkins, and tablecloths. Although these are now often made of cotton or synthetic fibers, they are still called "linens", "bed linens", and "table linens".
Linen is also used for cloth, canvases, sails, tents, and even for books (the only surviving example of which is the Liber Linteus). Due to its strength, in the Middle Ages linen was used for shields and gambeson. Also because of its strength when wet, Irish linen is the best wrap of pool/billiard cues, due to its absorption of sweat from hands. Paper made of linen can be very strong and crisp, which is why the United States and many other countries print their currency on linen-based paper.
Contrary to popular belief, linen was probably never used as material for the Hoplite cuirass because of its price. Hoplite cuirass was made of leather.
Quality
Linen is available in different qualities varying from almost silk-like to sack-linen. Linen is usually white to ivory, may be washed at 95°C, and should be ironed when damp. The natural color of unbleached linen is ecru.
A characteristic often associated with linen yarn is the presence of "slubs", or small knots that occur randomly along its length. However, these are actually defects associated with low quality. The finest linen has a very consistent diameter with no slubs.
When being washed for the first time, linen shrinks significantly.
Linguistic note
The word linen is derived from the Latin for the flax plant, which is linum, and the earlier Greek linon. This word history has given rise to a number of other terms:
- line, derived from the use of a linen thread to determine a straight line; other uses such as ocean liner derive ultimately from this use
- lining, due to the fact that linen was often used to create a lining for wool and leather clothing
- lingerie, via French, originally denotes underwear made of linen
- Linnet, a European finch that eats flax seed
- linseed oil, an oil derived from flax seed
- linoleum, a floor covering made from linseed oil and other materials
The word lintel, a supporting member above a door or window, is not related.
In addition, the term in English, flaxen-haired, denoting a very light, bright blonde, comes from a comparison to the color of raw flax fiber.de:Leinen fr:Linum he:פשתן ja:リンネル nl:Linnen pl:Len (tkanina) sv:Linne