Re: Nettle Soup

Chiron,

I've heard about Milarepa, but I never knew he lived on Nettles. I assume he used them for clothing, too. Didn't people used to claim that a Nettle fibre shirt would last for your grandchildren? Be Kind To Nettles Week? When I visited Scotland, long ago, it seemed there were nettles everywhere in the waste places near bus stops, etc. They must be as easy to grow as Hemp. Another useful "weed," eh? Funny that the fibers (or fibres in the UK)must be retted, as with Hemp. It's a picky, time-consuming process. We hear that it was only when a mechanized method for retting hemp fiber was developed that the move to ban the plant took steam -- because it conflicted with both pulp paper and the up and coming synthetic fiber industry.

Interesting bit on that retting process here:
http://www.nettlesoup.info/nettlecloth.htm


We can hope that nettle cloth become commonly used in the future. Kudzu another plant that is greatly "hated" also furnishes a wonderful and very durable cloth (as well as a nourishing and medicinal starch). Tweet