Welcome back to Hausfrau Friday!
I recently picked up about 3.5 yds of a woven fabric at the thrift store. Feeling it and examining the fabric closely at the store, I was pretty sure it contained wool, and perhaps was 100% wool. Since it was half off, I brought it home for $4, thinking I could make a few skirts for myself and my daughters out of it.
In order to determine the fiber content, I employed a burn test. Here's how to determine the fiber content of your mystery fabric/yarn/textile using just candle and some tweezers.
Note: ALWAYS do a flame test in a well-ventilated area and with a bowl of water or running sink nearby in case things get out of hand. Acrylic fibers burn with toxic fumes!
acrylic (aka plastic): melts, smells awful, does not form ash
linen: burns slowly, smells like starting a fire in the fireplace, leaves ash.
cotton: burns brighter than linen and for longer, smells like burning paper, leaves a crumbly ash (think of a burned candle wick)
wool: burns poorly and goes out quickly on its own. Smells strongly of burned hair/feathers. Leaves ash.
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