Homer’s Carla Klinker has been working in the art of processing local stinging nettles since about 2022 but has been interested in this (in addition to other visual arts) for much longer. She grew up in the community and first started researching books related to local plants, fiber and traditional crafts in approximately 1995.
“As I came across a couple of references to nettle as a fiber plant for textiles; I thought, wow, you know, we're in Alaska! We're so far removed from so many of the things and materials that a lot of Western culture was based on. I've always loved looking into the deep past and history and the actual materials that are around. So it just captured my imagination that this kind of frightening plant could actually be turned into something as soft and supple as a fiber plant,” Klinker said.
Eventually, Klinker was able to find instructional assistance with Sally Pointer, a UK experimental archaeologist who offers courses about how to strip fiber and process stinging nettles and other kinds of fibers for textiles. Pointer and Allan Brown, the textile artist from the film shown last Friday, started a FaceBook group called “Nettles for Textiles,” that Klinker is a member of now.
“There are a lot of people in it. There are some people in Australia and New Zealand. There are quite a few people in Denmark and various places in Northern Europe and then a few people in Canada and the United States. I actually got to meet and do a workshop with people that are from Alaska that had just been kind of following along and doing their own experiments. So it's just kind of, it's kind of a cool connection,” Klinker said.
Klinker described her procedure for processing nettle fiber: The inside of the nettle is tall and woody stock surrounded by long bast fibers in the skin layer. The outside epidermis or kin membrane is stripped to release the inner component.Klinker noted that when the plant has been through elements of winter: decay, freeze, thaw: helps break down the outer epidermis and release the fiber.
“That's called ‘redding.’ Winter redding, means just letting it do its thing naturally, and then going out and harvesting it or foraging for it. You can also the most traditional way to approach the fiber is in the late summer, autumn harvest control the reading process, strip or dry and strip. I have stalks that I harvested last fall that I can go in and kind of re-wet and then pound with a mallet and start to release the fiber that way,” Klinker explained.
Additionally, she has had the opportunity to teach harvest and cordage workshops with Homer’s Pratt Museum, most recently in August of 2025.
“When I teach workshops, one of the things I really enjoy, is seeing how it (nettle stalks) behaves differently in different people's hands. I mean some people can take fiber and make or, you know, take the raw fiber and produce this beautiful, silken, refined fiber that I often don't have quite the patience to do. I always feel like I learn something, and it's very yielding to how it's treated and approached,” she said.
Finally, Klinker shared some details about what she’s learned about the quality of the ‘stingers’ on the plant and what you can do to avoid getting stung. She noted that the stinging component is just in the very outside stem with the irritants running in a single direction that can be stripped by grasping the plant tightly from the bottom and running your hand across the stinging components.
“I can do it without gloves on. But, you know, I still will get stung. But the funny thing about the nettle is, you know, if you're walking through the forest, you can just brush up against it, and it just gets you and it can last quite a while. But if you're really firm with it, it doesn't have that opportunity to sing you. So there's a phrase in this. It comes up in this film, but you grasp the nettle. So if you're timid with it, you're probably going to get hurt. But if you're just really firm and set really strong boundaries. It's…okay,” Klinker said.
For more information, Klinker recommended a book by Gilliam Edom titled “From Sting to Spin: A History of Nettle Libre” that she uses often in her work if listeners are interested.
For 2026, Klinker has a show coming up in May at the Palace Gallery in Ellensburg, Washington. That is in connection with former Homer artist Karl Scheisow. She will be presenting a show at Bunnell in September. Though not scheduled yet, she is planning to provide some more workshops on nettle harvest and processing with Homer Council on the Arts and her earrings can be found at the Pratt Museum.
Reporting from Homer, this is Emilie Springer.
