põimiseaeg

Põimiseaeg is an Estonian term that translates to "braiding time" or "plaiting time." It refers to a specific period in the agricultural calendar, particularly relevant in traditional Estonian farming practices. This time was traditionally associated with the processing of flax and hemp, essential crops for producing linen and coarse fabrics.

The harvesting of flax and hemp would typically occur in late summer or early autumn. Following the harvest, the plants needed to undergo several stages of processing before their fibers could be spun into yarn. Põimiseaeg encompassed the detailed work of preparing these fibers, which involved retting, scutching, and hackling. Retting was a process of soaking the harvested stalks in water or dew to decompose the outer tissues and release the bast fibers. Scutching involved beating the dried stalks to remove the woody core, and hackling was the final combing process to separate and align the fine fibers, making them ready for spinning.

This period was often a communal activity, with families and neighbors gathering to help with the labor-intensive tasks. The successful completion of põimiseaeg was crucial for ensuring a sufficient supply of textiles for clothing, household use, and trade throughout the year. The term thus encapsulates not just the physical act of preparing fibers but also the social and economic significance of this period within the historical Estonian rural community.