Derived from Linum, the Latin word for the Flax plant, and the Greek Linon, Linen is a fabric associated with woven textiles known for domestic materials used for bed, bathing, and dcor, such as towels, sheets, pillow cases, and tablecloths. Past references to linen, though, included lightweight undergarments like chemises, waist shirts, and lingerie.
Modern linen is composed of natural fibers (Cotton, silk, modals, and sometimes flax) and synthetic fibers (polyester and rayon), although at one time the fabric was made solely of fibers from the flax plant (linum usitatisimum), cotton, or hemp. In some cases, linen was made of a combination of flax fiber, cotton, and hemp. Now three thousand years old, Flax is one of the oldest fibers around and used in small amounts, so combinations continue to be the tradition.
Bulk linen yarn is measured in the lea (symbol: NeL), which equals out to three hundred yards per pound. This specific length (or indirect grist system, as which it is already known) is the count of length units per unit mass. The measurement of lea is calculated as thus: the length in the number of leas X 300. For example, forty lea handkerchiefs X 300 =...