The retting was most unpleasant stage—deliberately decomposing outer plant material through controlled rotting, releasing usable fiber from surrounding pectin and woody substances. Two methods were traditional:
Water retting submerged bundled flax in pond or slow stream, allowing bacterial action to decompose unwanted material while preserving fiber. The bundles were weighted with stones preventing floating, left submerged for week or more depending on water temperature and bacterial activity. The process produced terrible smell—the decomposing plant material releasing noxious gases, the water becoming foul with dissolved organic matter. But the resulting fiber was superior quality—evenly retted, clean, producing fine soft linen.
Dew retting spread flax on grass fields, allowing morning dew and natural bacteria to accomplish decomposition over several weeks. This method avoided water pollution and terrible smell but required more time and produced less consistent results—some areas received adequate moisture while others remained partially retted, creating uneven fiber quality requiring sorting and selective processing.
The testing determined retting completion. The processor periodically removed sample stem, attempted breaking it, observed how easily outer material separated from inner fiber. Under-retted flax was too difficult to process—the fiber remained too tightly bound to woody core, requiring excessive labor during breaking and hackling. Over-retted flax became damaged—the bacterial action attacked fiber itself, weakening strands, reducing final thread quality. The optimal moment required experience and judgment developed through years of accumulated practice.
The drying followed retting—spreading processed flax in sun allowing complete moisture removal before storage. The drying had to be thorough preventing mold growth that would damage fiber, but not excessive causing brittleness making processing difficult. The dried flax bundles were stored in dry location awaiting winter processing when outdoor agricultural work ceased and household labor could focus on textile production.