UPDATE ON THREAD

As of this date I see a come back of waxed cotton cord.  This is found in some beading departments of crafts stores and beading stores.
The book I purchased for making wicker is from the Nutshell News Plans Service, An Accent on Wicker, by Madelyn Cook written in 1983.  In it it called for Mac 27 waxed cotton macrame choker line.  I bought this book in the 1990s and couldn't find this stuff.  The miniature wicker artisans were using waxed linen from Ireland by then.
I was at Michaels and found the waxed cotton cord in the beading department.  They had a small amounts wound on card board and then I found a small ball in a tan color.  This ball of waxed cotton cord in not nearly a waxed as the linen but I think would work well.  It won't fuzz up and will take spray paint well.

Yes, I order my waxed linen from Royalwood, too, gotten expensive, though.