A day or two of warm rain have made our seeds germinate. They know what to do now. We could leave them unattended for the next hundred days and would get a big crop. Of course, we’ll get a taller crop if we irrigate the field, and pull up weeds. Ken and I (and anyone else who wants to come) are going out on Sunday (May 27th) to start designing a sprinkler system. Also we need a plan for weeding with the least trampling.
But in general there is less intense work, and more flexibility about when it is done, over the summer. Here are some things we need to work on in this time:
1) Organize the harvest, rippling, and starting the fall retting. This could all happen on one day, with a large group of volunteers.
2) Organize the fall retting and subsequent collection and storage. With these done, this crop is out of the field and we move from biological to mechanical processes.
3) Prepare systems for storing, braking, scutching and hackling the retted crop. With these tasks done, we will have stricks (bundles of fibre) which are easy to store and easy to sell. So the big subsequent task of getting from fiber to cloth can take its own time.
4) Consider and discuss how to build on the successes we’ve already had, and successes to come, in order to energize other projects that develop tools and skills for locally productive industry. That question includes how to manage this website, and other questions of control over our membership, communications, funds, and identity.
Please comment on these points!
billy@inhabitvictoria, 250-386-7984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FboQdcbC_80
Here is a great video that has a rotary brake machine. Can we build one like it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FboQdcbC_80
…and this scrutching wheel! First steps to mechanize the process?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7egNtq2-eqY&feature=endscreen&NR=1
This is the scrutching wheel….
Great use of the flax pictures!! I will upload some of the spinning/weaving ones soon….
Beatrice
Hi, Billy, and Beatrice, Barb, Ken and others, I made a facebook group to bring more people in to the project. I can put the inhabit victoria link in the description of the group as a “feeder” to this site.
I kinda forgot passwords., email addresses and everything for this site but it recognized me automatically! That was neat. I have added the 2 linen processing videos to my flax and fiber playlist on youtube. There is over an hour of relevant video in the playlist now! Videos from England, USA Canada, Ireland and Germany http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD48CC5C148038F17&feature=view_all I think the first video is the best for promoting flax. The English one.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/312466712172431/ is the facebook group and there is also a “makerfaire” coming up in panorama rec center where we could promote the making of new tools to process the flax. We could get “makers” on board there. Brian
How about a power washer to do all the linen breaking, scutching, etc. Over 20 years ago, when I was working in Germany, a young lady fired one at her hand accidentally and had to go to hospital due to skin loss. They might be more powerful after another 20 years of commercial arms race. Maybe there are videos of their burtal power on the net. I don’t have a power washer myself. BUT someone does. Lets try it! (on flax, not skin)
Brian
I’ve got a big electric power washer. It’s an industrial machine – all metal, needs a 120 volt circuit to itself. So it’s reliable, but less powerful than one with a gasoline engine. You’re welcome to try it out.
A treadle- or pedal- powered machine is much quieter, lending itself to group efforts, and also can be used right at the field, if the straw dries out after retting. That brings up an advantage of irrigation retting in dry weather: once we stop sprinkling, it will dry out and can be broken and scutched rght at the field, reducing the volume to transport and store, and returning some organic material to the soil.
Work Party / DemonstrationWork Party / Demonstration
Hey – I’ve left a note for Brian on facebook – I have a pressure washer (home garden type) that you are welcome to try out. After you use the pressure washer you would have to dry it or there would be mould. You couldn’t scutch (sp?) it while wet I don’t think. Or if you are using it for scutching then you would still have to hang it to dry. Anyway those are my thoughts. I could bring it over to your place Brian when John & I come for pieces of wood. Let me know.
I wonder how we set the time things were posted? Is this England time?
If someone sends me a mesg to inhabit where does it show up?
barb
These instructions to the flax field location (544 Brookleigh) are a bit premature but when it comes time to work the field those without cars and don’t mind taking the bus can get off at Sayward, cross the highway to the west side and it’s not too far to walk to the Beaver Lake parking lot along Brookleigh. From there some arrangements can be made previously for you to be picked up by someone with a car. For those who like walking – it’s not a bad walk. Anyway you might want to see the field when it flowers – it will be beautiful. These photos were taken today Friday July 13
A photo is worth a thousand words and I have them so people can recognize the property when they drive by but I don’t know how to put them here.
We need to set dates for the pulling of the flax, but it will have to be soon. our weekends are being taken up with demos – 19th at Fibrations at St Anns Academy lawns & 25th back at James Bay Market. So that leaves next weekend 11th & 12th. I think if we do a flax pulling & a demo on the same weekend that would just be too much – we need a day to recoup from each of those events. Some of us can work during the week so we need to make a plan really soon. The finest linen fibre is pulled green – very soon after flowering