Saturday 14 June 2008

a mole's guide to making linen

We received a fantastic surprise in the mail this week. All the way from the Czech Republic, courtesy of my partner's chat friend most commonly known as "nice girl", came two board books for Olive. They were written by Zdenek Miler, illustrated by Eduard Petiska, and were also produced as a children's tv cartoon in the 1980s. The characters and pictures are really cute but it wasn't until I started reading the test of "how come little mole has trousers" that I seriously got excited. It's all about how to make linen!

First, you have to grow some flax plants.

When the flax is ripe, reap it and soak it in water. Once it is completely soaked, dry it.

Next, break the stems of the flax.

Comb the broken flax.

Spin the threads.

And weave the yarn into cloth.

Thank you, Barbara, for your insight and generosity. The books will be treasured for many years to come.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I remember a similar cartoon from either the late '50's or early '60's when I was a child. I remember it as being a hedgehog who wanted something with pockets. I don't think that they are the same cartoon.