o u r · l o c a l · s t i n g i n g · n e t t l e

a local super food and a wild growing resource for textiles

[ourlocalnettle]

The results of paper making can vary depending on the combination with other fibers (cotton, hemp) or if only stems or the whole plant were used as a source material.

[taumh]

Whip the painful area with a bunch (switch) of nettles for three successive days then a break of three days to prevent sensitisation - long lasting overly strong burning sensation of skin. Avoid cold water touching treated skin for rest of day, said to cause pleasurable warmth to turn into unpleasant burning sensation' (Pahlow M, 1992) 'use externally as nettle spirit utilising the local hyperaemic action and the irritant effect achieved via the cutaneous nerves. It is applied to treat neuralgic and rheumatic pain, particularly with degenerative and chronic arthritic conditions such as lumbago, sciatica pain, chronic tendonitis, sprains, and other similar conditions' (Weiss RF, 1991 ).

Research paper about the use of stinging nettles for pain relief in arthritis patients.

[ourlocalnettle]

Nettle as a distinct Bronze Age textile plant

Article

Our results thus suggest that the production of woven plant fibre textiles in Bronze Age Europe was based not only on cultivated textile plants but also on the targeted exploitation of wild plants. The Lusehøj find points to a hitherto unrecognized role of nettle as an important textile plant and suggests the need for a re-evaluation of textile production resource management in prehistoric Europe.

[ourlocalnettle]

[ourlocalnettle]

In order to make a big sheet of paper, a bigger than A0 silk screen for printing was used. The bare fresh plant was juiced in a home centrifuge juicer and afterwards blended finely until a pulp consistency. The pulp was placed on the screen by hand and flattened and dried out carefully with the help of a net and an absorbing sponge.

The day after the paper was ironed until fairly dry and stored flat. In a dry state the paper is quite stable, but when it’s still wet it can fall apart easily as it happened to my in the first big format paper.

#nettlepaper

#homemadepaper

#papermaking

#paperlfromfibres

#paperfromjuicedplants

#juicednettles

#nettlesuperplant

#green

#circulareconomy

#greenpaper

#ourlocalnettle

#taupibernat

[ourlocalnettle]

In Nepal the plants get much bigger and their fibers are coarser, have a look at our brown fabric at the exhibition. 

[ourlocalnettle]

Our local nettle also took part offering a workshop in this year’s OSCE Days Berlin. There we got in touch with many material and textile designers and enthusiasts, we extracted fibers with them together and they gladly shared their nettle stories for your story board.

[ourlocalnettle]

In order to asess the potential risks of consuming the berliner urban nettles I had the chance to test some of my collected nettles at Analytica Alimentaria, the work place of Flavia Barraga. She is a chemist involved also in TopLab Berlin with whom we had previously learned to create Kombucha leather. With the company’s team we processed my plants as any other order, so the nettles went through registration, through homogenization, extraction and then pesticide and heavy metal tests were run. I was very lucky to be able to learn to run such processes and to get an insight in such amazing infrastructure! Thank you Analytica Alimentaria!

[taumh]

When spinning nettles, the more pectin and other organic matter that stays in the fiber, the greener will be the yarn, but also less resistant and fine. Reaching a higher percentage in cellulose, the fibers will move towards the white colour.

(Copyright of the image is not mine, if it’s yours i’ll gladly add your credits)

[ourlocalnettle]

The most complete guide about textiles from nettle that I have found in german language so far.

[ourlocalnettle]

Wild Nettle Shopping bag

Wild Nettle Shopping Tote Bag - Handmade in Nepal from hand-harvested and handspun nettle from the Himalaya. These bags are not only beautiful, but strong and durable. Nettle fabric is incredibly robust. With a handwoven hemp carry strap in a choice of colours these bags are unique and

A nettle bag is a great application for the robust and a bit raugher allo nettle from Nepal.

[ourlocalnettle]

Picking nettles for a nettleade, for the fibers to make cordage and thread and to make fertilizer. See you this weekend at OSCE Days in Berlin, where I will present my research! http://2018.oscedays.berlin/en/

[ourlocalnettle]

In Europe, the perennial stinging nettle was cultivated during the 19th century until the Second World War and has a long history as a fiber plant. Clone varieties dating back to the early 20th century are still maintained at European research institutions. The fiber content of clones ranges from 1.2 to 16% dry matter, and fiber yields range from 0.14 to 1.28 Mg ha. Varietal purity of fiber nettle can only be achieved by planting cuttings. The harvesting of fiber starts in the second year of growth and the crop may produce well for several years. Several agronomic practices influence fiber quality, but causal relations are not yet well understood. Various parts of the fiber nettle plant can be used as food, fodder and as raw material for different purposes in cosmetics, medicine, industry and bio-dynamic agriculture. Organically produced fibers are in demand by the green textile industry and show potential that is economically promising.

C.R. Vogl and A. Hartl  - http://orgprints.org/6926/1/AJAA18_3_2003_nettle.pdf

[ourlocalnettle]

Nettle seeds hold a very high nutritional value. Not very surprising if we know that the leaved of the nettle plant are already 20% of proteins. So the seeds might be one of the most valuable superfoods growing wild in our cities.

[ourlocalnettle]

The process will take place without retting shortly after harvesting the nettles.

[realhunterswearplaid]

“Nettles represented wilderness, wild women, and the general quality of being wild. Because they sting and because the juice of nettles provides the antidote for that sting, nettles were identified as the botanical equivalent of snakes, whose venom both heals and harms.”

— Judika Illes, The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft

[ourlocalnettle]

Spring Nettle Soup

Simple spring nourishing soup with wild nettle, perfect for a quick healthy and wholesome lunch or dinner.

When foraging for nettles close to my place people like to comment when passing by. Most of the comments I get about nettles are “for nettle soup!!!” this sounds like a good recipe to try nettle soup.