This literally started with a pack of seeds from the farmers market. I was putting in an order with WFM2Go when I saw a pack of linen flax seeds and thought it could be something cool to try. I had absolutely no knowledge of fiber making prior to this little journey and it’s proven to be a fun little rabbit hole to dive in to.
I’ve gotten a lot of questions. Mostly, why?
My answer has always been, why not? It’s fun to learn new things! I enjoy learning skills that could provide me more independence. Obviously we are far away from making clothes or anything like that- but everyone needs to start somewhere.
Blooming linen flax plants with blue flowers
I started with a small pot of the seeds in summer 2025 and was able to confirm they are very easy to grow (and also adorable with their little blue flowers.)
Then came the research… How does one take these delicate little stems and make fabric? The internet provided tenfold (which was awesome because this can’t be a common thing people look up in 2025/6)
The equipment was very accessible. It included:
A flax brake, which I found a pattern for here: https://buymeacoffee.com/letsgrowflax/build-mini-flax-brake
A pet brush
A spinning wheel
I’m lucky to have a carpenter for a father who made the brake for me for my birthday- literally from scrap wood he had in his basement. He went super extra with it- it was great.
The pet brush was ~$20 from the local Feeds n’ Needs.
And lastly, the spinning wheel was a family heirloom that I’m grateful my aunt trusts me with. (Photos to follow, still at her house)
I’d saved and dried the small 2025 harvest in case I pulled this all off.
The flax brake worked perfectly to break up the hard exterior and the brush brought out the little linen fibers.
No surprise that one pot of linen only made a small handful of linen BUT this was a proof of concept for me to see how easy or difficult it would end up being.
Little floofs
I have to say, I’m excited to grow more linen in 2026. Hoping to make enough to actually bring home and try the spinning wheel this year. I have no idea if the wheel has ever been used or if my grandfather just made it for decoration but there’s only one way to find out.
This batch still has some hard stock in the middle. The bunch was just a little too small to go heavy on the brushing without losing fibers at the same time. That’s what these tests are for though!
Once I’ve gotten the growing and processing part down I’ll start dabbling in what I can make with it. Currently I dream of dish cloths since they’d be easy to knit and practical.
Some of the stock is still visible but I didn’t want to brush too hard or I would have lost the majority of the linen. (Down side to testing with a small batch)
