Celtic Engagement Rings

Irish Linen Dish Towels

Irish Linen Dish Towels

Linen

Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather. It is superior to cotton in this regard.

obey">http://www.himfr.com/buy-obey_shirts/">obey shirtsTextiles in linen weave pattern made of cotton, hemp and other non-flax fibers may also be loosely, if improperly, referred to as "linen", which can make the exact meaning of the word linen, depending on the context. Such fabrics generally have their own specific names other than linen, for example, fine cotton yarn in linen weave is called Madapolam

The collective term linens is still often used generically to describe a class of woven and even knitted bed, bath, table and kitchen textiles. The name linens is retained because traditionally, linen was used for many of these items. In the past, the word "linens" was also used to mean lightweight undergarments such as shirts, chemises, waistshirts, lingerie, and detachable shirt collars and cuffs, which were manufactured almost exclusively of linen.

Linen textiles appear to be some of the oldest in the world: their history goes back many thousands of years. Fragments of straw, seeds, fibers, yarns, and various types of fabrics which date back to about 8000 B.C. have been found in Swiss lake dwellings. Linen was used in the Mediterranean in the pre-Christian age.

Linen was sometimes used as currency in ancient Egypt. Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen because it was seen as a symbol of light and purity, and as a display of wealth. Some of these fabrics, woven from hand spun yarns, were extremely fine, and cannot be matched by modern spinning techniques.

Today linen is usually an expensive textile, and is produced in relatively small quantities. It has a long "staple" (individual fiber length) relative to cotton and other natural fibers. [1]
Flax fiber

Flax fibers vary in length from about 25 to 150 centimeters (18 to 55 in) and average 12-16 micrometers in diameter. There are two varieties: shorter tow fibers used for coarser fabrics and longer line fibres used for finer fabrics. Flax fibers can usually be identified by their “nodes” which add to the flexibility and texture of the fabric.

The cross-section of the linen fiber is made up of irregular polygonal shapes which contribute to the coarse texture of the fabric. [2]

Highly absorbent and a good conductor of heat, linen fabric feels cool to the touch. Linen is the strongest of the vegetable fibers, with 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton. It is smooth, making the finished fabric lint free, and gets softer the more it is washed. However, constant creasing in the same place in sharp folds will tend to break the linen threads. This wear can show up in collars, hems, and any area that is iron creased during laundering. Linen has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily, explaining why it wrinkles so easily.

Linen fabrics have a high natural luster; their natural color ranges between shades of ivory, ecru, tan, or grey. Pure white linen is created by heavy bleaching. Linen typically has a thick and thin character with a crisp and textured feel to it, but it can range from stiff and rough, to soft and smooth. When properly prepared, linen fabric has the ability to absorb and lose water rapidly. It can gain up to 20% moisture without feeling damp.[citation needed]

When freed from impurities, linen is highly absorbent and will quickly remove perspiration from the skin. Linen is a stiff fabric and is less likely to cling to the skin; when it billows away, it tends to dry out and become cool so that the skin is being continually touched by a cool surface. It is a very durable, strong fabric, and one of the few that are stronger wet than dry. The fibers do not stretch and are resistant to damage from abrasion. However, because linen fibers have a very low elasticity, the fabric will eventually break if it is folded and ironed at the same place repeatedly.

Mildew, perspiration, and bleach can also damage the fabric, but it is resistant to moths and carpet beetles. Linen is relatively easy to take care of, since it resists dirt and stains, has no lint or pilling tendency, and can be dry cleaned, machine washed or steamed. It can withstand high temperatures, and has only moderate initial shrinkage. [2]

Linen should not be dried too much by tumble drying: it is much easier to iron when damp. Linen wrinkles very easily, and so some more formal linen garments require ironing often, in order to maintain perfect smoothness. Nevertheless the tendency to wrinkle is often considered part of the fabric's particular "charm", and a lot of modern linen garments are designed to be air dried on a good hanger and worn without the necessity of ironing.

A characteristic often associated with contemporary linen yarn is the presence of "slubs", or small knots which occur randomly along its length. However, these slubs are actually defects associated with low quality. The finest linen has very consistent diameter threads, with no slubs.

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 40 lea, and give 40x300 = 12,000 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, the English Cotton system unit, NeC, is common. This is the number of 840 yard lengths in a pound.

The quality of the finished linen product is often dependent upon growing conditions and harvesting techniques. To generate the longest possible fibers, flax is either hand-harvested by pulling up the entire plant or stalks are cut very close to the root. After harvesting, the seeds are removed through a mechanized process called “rippling” or by winnowing.

The fibers must then be loosened from the stalk. This is achieved through retting. This is a process which uses bacteria to decompose the pectin that binds the fibers together. Natural retting methods take place in tanks and pools, or directly in the fields. There are also chemical retting methods; these are faster, but are typically more harmful to the environment and to the fibers themselves.

After retting, the stalks are ready for “scutching”, which takes place between August and December. Scutching removes the woody portion of the stalks by crushing them between two metal rollers, so that the parts of the stalk can be separated. The fibers are removed and the other parts such as linseed, shive, and tow are set aside for other uses. The short fibers are separated with heckling combs by 'combing' them away, to leave behind only the long, soft flax fibers.

After the fibers have been separated and processed, they are typically spun into yarns and woven or knit into linen textiles. These textiles can then be bleached, dyed, printed on, or finished with a number of treatments or coatings. [2][3]

An alternate production method is known as “cottonizing” which is quicker and requires less equipment. The flax stalks are processed using traditional cotton machinery; however, the finished fibers often lose the characteristic linen look.

Flax is grown in many parts of the world, but top quality flax is primarily grown in Western Europe. In very recent years bulk linen production has moved to Eastern Europe and China, but high quality fabrics are still confined to niche producers in Ireland, Italy and Belgium.

Over the past 30 years the end use for linen has changed dramatically. Approximately 70% of linen production in the 1990s was for apparel textiles whereas in the 1970s only about 5% was used for fashion fabrics.

Linen uses range from bed and bath fabrics (tablecloths, dish towels, bed sheets, etc.), home and commercial furnishing items (wallpaper/wall coverings, upholstery, window treatments, etc.), apparel items (suits, dresses, skirts, shirts, etc.), to industrial products (luggage, canvases, sewing thread, etc.).[1] It was once the preferred yarn for handsewing the uppers of moccasin-style shoes (loafers), but its use has been replaced by synthetics.

A linen handkerchief, pressed and folded to display the corners, was a standard decoration of a well-dressed man's suit during most of the first part of the 20th century.

Currently researchers are working on a cotton/flax blend to create new yarns which will improve the feel of denim during hot and humid weather.[4]

Linen fabric is one of the preferred traditional supports for oil painting. In the United States cotton is popularly used instead as linen is many times more expensive there, restricting its use to professional painters. In Europe however, linen is usually the only fabric support available in art shops. Linen is preferred to cotton for its strength, durability and archival integrity.

In the past linen was also used 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 (among other roles such as use for a bowstring), much like how in Classical antiquity and Hellenistic Greece linen was used to make multi-plied Hoplite cuirasses. Also because of its strength when wet, Irish linen is a very popular 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 paper that is made from 25% linen and 75% cotton.

Linen has been used for table coverings, bed coverings and clothing for centuries. The exclusivity of linen stems from the fact that it is difficult and time consuming to produce (flax in itself requires a great deal of attention in its growth). Flax is difficult to weave because of its lack of elasticity, and therefore is more expensive to manufacture than cotton. The benefits of linen however, are unmatched.

The Living Linen Project was set up in 1995 as an Oral Archive of the knowledge of the Irish linen industry still available within a nucleus of people who were formerly working in the industry in Ulster . There is a long history of linen in Ireland.

The use of linen for priestly vestments was not confined to the Israelites, but from Plutarch, who lived and wrote one hundred years after the birth of Christ, we know that also the priests of Isis wore linen because of its purity.

When the tomb of the Pharaoh Ramesses II, who died 1213 BC, was discovered in 1881, the linen wrappings were in a state of perfect preservation - after more than 3000 years.

In the Belfast Library there is preserved the mummy of "Kaboolie,' the daughter of a priest of Ammon, who died 2,500 years ago. The linen on this mummy is in a like state of perfection. When the tomb of Tutankamen was opened, the linen curtains were found intact.

In olden days, in almost every country, each family grew flax and wove the linen for its own use; but the earliest records of an established linen industry are 4,000 years old, and come to us from Egypt. The earliest written documentation of a linen industry comes from the Linear B tablets of Pylos, Greece, where linen is depicted as an ideogram and also written as "ri-no" (Greek: ?????, linon), and the female linen workers are catalogued as "ri-ne-ja" (??????, lineia)[5][6].

The Phoenicians, who, with their merchant fleet, opened up new channels of commerce to the peoples of the Mediterranean, besides developing the tin mines of Cornwall, introduced flax growing and the making of linen into Ireland before the birth of Christ, but the internal dissensions, which even in those early days were prevalent in Erin, militated against the establishment of an organized industry, and it is not until the twelfth century that we can find records of a definite attempt to systematize flax production.

When the Edict of Nantes was revoked, in A.D. 1695, many of the Huguenots who had to flee the country settled in the British Isles, and amongst them was Louis Crommelin, who was born, and brought up as a weaver of fine linen, in the town of Cambrai. He fled to Ulster, and eventually settled down in the small town of Lisburn, about ten miles from Belfast.

During the late war Cambrai became well known as one of the centers of the most desperate fighting. The name "cambric" is derived from this town.

Although the linen industry was already established in Ulster, Louis Crommelin found scope for improvement in weaving, and his efforts were so successful that he was appointed by the Government to develop the industry over a much wider range .than the small confines of Lisburn and its surroundings. The direct result of his good work was the establishment, under statute, of the Board of Trustees of the Linen Manufacturers of Ireland in the year 1711.

In the Jewish religion, the only law concerning which fabrics may be used together in clothing regards the mixture of linen and wool. This mixture is called shaatnez and is clearly restricted in Deuteronomy 22:11 "Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together" and Leviticus 19:19, "'...neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together.'" There is no explanation for this in the Torah and any attempt to explain the restriction is generally considered futile. This is a type of law known as hukim, a statute beyond man's ability to comprehend.

 

About the Author

I am a professional editor from himfr,which is a top B2B search engine .

Irish Dancer Tea Towel $19.99 Adorable tea towels, decorated with ?happy shamrocks?, will brighten any home and warm your Irish heart. Cotton and linen. 14?W x 22?H.

Irish Teapot Tea Towel $19.99 Adorable tea towels, decorated with ?happy shamrocks?, will brighten any home and warm your Irish heart. Cotton and linen. 14?W x 22?H.

Shamrock Twin Towel Set $13.99 Add a touch of Irish charm with these fun and colorful cotton terry dish towels. Ireland.

Irish Proverb Sectional Dish $24.99 A perfect dish for serving...and so lovely on the table. Ceramic. 7 1/2 x 12 1/4. Dishwasher and microwave safe. Gift Box. Imported.

Baby Irish Linen Christening Bonnet $29.99 Our lovely Christening Bonnet is made from 100% Irish white linen. From Ireland. Sizes 0/6 and 6/12 months. 0/6 months neck width 13 cm, bonnet width 16 cm, 6/12 months neck width 13.5 cm, bonnet width 17.5 cm. Web Exclusive!

Irish Linen Body Lotion $6.99 A lovely and delicate scent that will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth. USA.

Irish Linen Liquid Soap $6.99 A lovely and delicate scent that will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth. USA.

Tis Herself and Tis Himself Hand Towels - Herself $9.99 Cheerfully announce who you are! Expertly embroidered in the USA on 100% cotton towels. 16 x 30.

Tis Herself And Tis Himself Hand Towels - Himself $9.99 Cheerfully announce who you are! Expertly embroidered in the USA on 100% cotton towels. 16 x 30.

Celtic Claddagh Baking Dish $26.99 Imprinted with the cherished recipe for Irish Soda Bread. Ceramic. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Imported. Boxed 9 dia.

Amazing Woman Baking Dish $21.99 This pretty, scalloped-edge baking dish is imprinted with a delightful recipe! Dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe. Imported. Ceramic. Boxed. 10 1/2 dia. x 2 deep.

Irish Blessing Hot Plate And Trivet $10.99 Freeze it to keep cold dishes chilled during a meal, or place a drop of cinnamon oil on this etched porcelain trivet and the heat from a dish will bring out a wonderful aroma. Can also hang. Dishwasher and freezer safe. USA. 6 sq.

Numerology Set of 3 Dish Towels by Twos Company $30 Numerology Set of 3 Dish Towels by Twos Company Numerology TM Set of 3 Numbered Dish Towels - Cotton (17" x 29" L )

Numbered Dish Towels - Set of 3 $28.49 The Numerology™ Numbered Dish Towels by Two's Company® gives your kitchen a vintage feel. Each set contains three cotton towels numbered one through three with black accents. Complete the look with the entire Numerology™ line. Features: • Made of cotton • 3 Designs • Includes set of 3 (one of each) • Vintage look • Color: IvorySize: 17" wide x 29" long

Parian China Shamrock Vase $17.99 This pair of absorbent and soft 100% cotton shamrock towels will add a touch of irish charm to your kitchen 16 x 26. Shamrock Gift Co., Dublin.

Grape Cotton Kitchen Dish Towels $16.99 Set of 4 towels. Imported. Machine wash; cotton. Each 16"W x 26"L.

Magic Wedding Hanky $23.99 Our Irish linen handkerchief can be carried on her wedding day, and then transformed into a christening bonnet with the birth of their first child. Instructions included. From Ireland.

Irish Linen $7.99 The perils of wartime add special urgency to latest mysteries being investigated by Nuala Anne McGrail and her adoring husband, Dermot Coyne.   More than a little fey, Nuala has a well-deserved reputation for getting to the bottom of even the most tangled intrigues, even when they may be taking place on the other side of the world.   Desmond Doolin, an idealistic young man from their West Side Chicago neighborhood, has gone missing in Iraq.  Having flown off to the Middle East in the name of peace, he hasn't been heard of since.  The U.S. government denies any knowledge of his whereabouts, and his grieving family has all but written him off as dead, but Nuala is convinced that there's more to the story . . . and herself won't stop asking questions until she finds out what has really become of Desmond, one way or another.   Meanwhile, a parallel investigation uncovers the story of another young man abroad in dangerous times.  Poking around in the past, Dermot and Nuala happen upon the memoirs of Timothy Patrick Clarke, the Irish ambassador to Nazi Germany, who risked his life for the sake of a beautiful German widow . . . and a secret plot to kill Adolf Hitler.   Working together as always, Nuala and her husband find themselves engrossed in the secrets of the past, the present, and two very different wars.    Irish Linen is another captivating installment in a series that Publishers Weekly calls "immensely entertaining."

Baby The Magic Hanky Bonnet $24.99 After you've christened your child in our Irish linen bonnet, tuck it away for her wedding day. A few snips will transform it into a beautiful bridal hanky. Instructions included. From Ireland.

Tea Towel with Ireland Symbols $9.99 Pattern includes all the beloved Irish symbols; claddagh, Celtic knots, shamrocks, Celtic cross and harp. Absorbent linen/cotton blend gets softer with every washing. Ireland. 26 x 20?.

Irish People, Irish Linen (Hardcover) $75.13  The story of Irish linen is a story of the Irish people. Many thousands of men and women made Irish linen a global product and an international brand. It is also a story of innovation and opportunity. Irish linen has served its makers as sail cloth of incredible strength and durability for world exploration; it has functioned as watertight containers for farmers and firemen; it has soothed the brows of royalty and absorbed the sweat of the working class. As outerwear and underwear, linen has covered the bodies of men, women, and children from birth to death—the rich and powerful, poor and pitiful alike.  Into this cultural history, Kathleen Curtis Wilson weaves personal narratives, giving the story a voice: words and songs of individual spinners, factory workers, and out-workers like Sarah McCabe, who created fabulous linen lace; Sarah Leech, who wrote poetry as she spun fine thread; the three Patterson women, who worked in Mossley Mill for a total of one hundred years; and the Herdman brothers, who settled in County Tyrone to build a mill and a utopian community.  Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, each chapter tells of art, social and economic history, design, architecture, technology, and cultural traditions that celebrate the industry of making linen, a highly useful and desirable commodity that helped transport Irish people across the Atlantic to influence the settling of North America.

Set of Two Cupcakes and Stripes Dish Towels $24 Ultra-absorbent cotton towels feature fun-loving, coordinating prints. Machine washable. Imported. Each 18" x 26".

Irish Linen Bow Decorative Pillow $80 Add a relaxed bit of luxury to your room with an Irish linen decorative pillow. Couture pillow is hand-cut and stitched to order. Made with a softened Ivory Irish Linen and your choice of accent color. Available in your choice of size.

Irish Linen Flanged Decorative Pillow $60 Add a relaxed bit of luxury to your room with an Irish linen decorative pillow. Couture pillow is hand-cut and stitched to order. Made with a softened Ivory Irish Linen in your choice of accent color. Available in your choice of size.

Irish Linen Ruffled Decorative Pillow $80 Add a relaxed bit of luxury to your room with an Irish linen decorative pillow. Couture pillow is hand-cut and stitched to order. Made with a softened Ivory Irish Linen in your choice of color combination. Available in your choice of size.

Set of Two Silver Dish Towels by John Robshaw $35 Set of Two Silver Dish Towels by John Robshaw 21" X 28" 100% Cotton Screen printed About John Robshaw: John earned his fine arts degree at Pratt and studied traditional block printing in China. He then went to India to find natural indigo dye for his paintings. As luck would have it, he was drawn to the local artisans fabric-making traditions. His love of textiles dyed, stitched, printed, woven, and worn piqued have become a lifelong fascination.

Set of Two Dish Towels in Various Prints - Simrin $32 Set of Two Dish Towels in Various Prints - Simrin Simrin's new animal prints are great for any kitchen! Choose from 4 different colors: Red /Grenadine (FISH), Azure (OCTOPUS), Yellow/Maize (ROOSTER) or Grey (ZEBRA) Material: 100% Cotton. Size: 20"x28" About Simrin : Inspired by vintage fabrics, organic forms in nature and algorithmic patterns, their standout prints come in complimentary colors for mixing and matching. Simrin's collections use a combination of metallic inks, embroidery and hand screen printing to make each one unique.

Father of the Bride Hankies $14.99 Appliqued with shamrocks, these hankies come with a heartfelt poem. Mother's is 100% linen with lace, 11 square. Father's is 100% cotton, 15 square. USA.

Mother of the Bride Hankies $14.99 Appliqued with shamrocks, these hankies come with a heartfelt poem. Mother's is 100% linen with lace, 11 square. Father's is 100% cotton, 15 square. USA.

Mother of the Groom Hankies $14.99 Appliqued with shamrocks, these hankies come with a heartfelt poem. Mother's is 100% linen with lace, 11 square. Father's is 100% cotton, 15 square. USA.

Father of the Groom Hankies $14.99 Appliqued with shamrocks, these hankies come with a heartfelt poem. Mother's is 100% linen with lace, 11 square. Father's is 100% cotton, 15 square. USA.

Irish Linen Piped Decorative Pillow with Rose $74 Add a relaxed bit of a rose garden retreat to your room with an Irish Linen Decorative Pillow accented with a simple rose. Made with softened Ivory Irish Linen and available in your choice of size.

S/3 Garden Herbs White Waffle Kitchen Dish Towels $16.99 Set of 3 waffle weave dish towels feature an embroidered herb design. One each: dill, lavender and sage. 100% cotton. Machine wash. Imported. Each 13 1/2"W x 24"L.

Shamrock and Clover Pasta $7.99 Prepare a really different and fun pasta dish. The 14 oz bag of shamrock and clover shaped pasta will make enough to feed 6-8 people. Pasta salad recipe on package. USA.

Irish People, Irish Linen $37.29 No Synopsis Available

Irish Linen Piped and Flanged Decorative Pillow $60 Add a relaxed bit of luxury to your room with an Irish linen decorative pillow. Couture pillow is hand-cut and stitched to order. Made with a softened Ivory Irish Linen in your choice of color combination. Available in your choice of size.

Croscill Flower Blossom Soap Dish $21.99 Flower Blossom soap dish. Available in Linen.

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 10th, 2009 at 6:30 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.