The linen industry was important in the medieval period, particularly in the Aylsham area, and more recently in the Diss/Lopham area of Norfolk. Linen thread was used extensively by the Norwich Dornix weavers and the Walloons in their union (mixed thread) specialities.

The thread is made from the fibres of the flax plant. Traditionally flax was grown in Norfolk on the sandrer soils, dried by spreading on the ground for a year or more, and processed using various procedures:

Rippling: the upper parts of the bundles of flax were drawn through a rippling comb to remove seeds.

Retting: outer and inner fibres were removed after exposure to dew, pond or river water.
Grassing: the fibres were spread thinly to dry and then gathered into stooks.

Scutching: the core and outer fibres were removed by beating on a slatted board.

Hackling: Bundles of flax were drawn through a coarser and then a finer metal-toothed comb. This removed the short fibres (tow) leaving the longer fibres (line) which were required for spinning.

Flax was spun into linen thread by mounting the fibres on a tall distaff. The spinster needed to keep her fingers moist to draw out the linen and constantly dipped her fingers in a dish of water attached to the wheel.