5 February 2016

All of you folks that use Ravelry might be interested in this. They've decided to make your yarn searches more difficult.

Flax, Xylem or Linen

The Ravelry P.T.B. have now decided that linen should be called flax when referring to a yarn that contain 'flax'. Part of their thinking is that linen is actually the finished product that is usually a cloth - not yarn.

Okay, I get that, but here's the problem. It's not really flax either. **Flax** is the plant - not the product of the plant. The product of the plant is XYLEM which is then spun into thread that is woven (Biology 101). So Ravelry P.T.B. have it wrong. You neither weave or spin flax. You weave or spin xylem. If you want to be precise, then be precise. Being half-assed doesn't cut it.

When manufacturers change their labeling I will bend to flax. Until that time I will continue to call the spun yarn product used for knitting, linen.

If you're searching for linen on Ravelry remember you need to search for 'flax' now for the new yarns. The old yarns are still listed as linen.

Use your voice on Ravelry to complain if you have a problem with looking for a plant.