National Institute of Fashion Technology

HYDERABAD

Master of Fashion Management (2013-15)

FABRIC KNOWLEDGE FOR MERCHANDISERS

ASSIGNMENT 1

YARNS


Submitted By: Submitted To:
Aditi Khanna (1) Mrs. T.Srivani
Isha Jain (13)
Yarns

Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of
textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, and rope making.
Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing
threads may be finished with wax or other lubricants to withstand the stresses involved in
sewing. Embroidery threads are yarns specifically designed for hand or machine embroidery.
A yarn is an assemblage of fibres or filaments having asubstantial length and relatively small
cross section, with orwithout twist, being the end product of a spinning andwinding process

Yarn may be any of the following-

Number of fibers twisted together
Number of filaments without twist
Number of filaments twisted with more/less twist
Single filament
One or more strips cut by length of a sheet of material of natural/ synthetic or any polymer







Classification of Yarns


















YARNS
SINGLE YARNS
SPUN YARNS
ROTOR YARNS
RING YARNS
WORSTED
YARNS
SEMI-
WORSTED
YARNS
WOOLLEN
YARNS
FILAMENT
YARNS
FLAT
FILAMENT
YARNS
TEXTURED
FILAMENT
YARNS
BICOMPONENT
TAPE OR SPLIT
FILM YARNS
FANCY YARNS
ASSEMBLED
YARNS
FOLDED YARNS
FANCY YARNS
TERMS
Spun yarn is made by twisting or otherwise bonding staple fibres together to make a cohesive
thread, or single. Spun yarns may contain a single type of fibre, or be a blend of various types.
Combining synthetic fibres (which can have high strength, lustre, and fire retardant qualities)
with natural fibres (which have good water absorbency and skin comforting qualities) is very
common.
Filament yarn consists of filament fibres (very long continuous fibres) either twisted together
or only grouped together. Silk is a natural filament, and synthetic filament yarns are used to
produce silk-like effects.
Texturized yarns are made by a process of air texturizing, which combines multiple filament
yarns into a yarn with some of the characteristics of spun yarns.
Multifilament Yarn is a filament yarn made from multiple filaments, assembled with or
without twist.
Monofilament Yarn consists of only a single continuous filament from man-made source.
Assembled Yarns two or more yarns which are wound side by side on to same package, but
without twisting around each other.
Folded or Plied Yarns are yarns made by twisting together. Two or more single (and/or
folded) yarns of the same or different types. Ex: 2 Ply (two singles)
Cords or Cabled Yarns are yarns made by twisting together. Two or more ply or folded
yarns of the same or different types. Ex: 2,3 Ply Cord


Properties of Spun, Filament and Combination Yarns
100%Spun Yarns: Warmth, Softness, Light Weight Ideal for T-Shirts, Sweaters and
Blankets
100%Filament Yarns: Smoother, Finer and Lustrous. Ideal for linings
Combination of spun and filament Yarns: Durable, Easy care, Comfortable, Suitable
for more applications.






Structure and Twists of Yarns
S- and Z-twist yarn
Yarns are made up of a number of singles, which are known as plies when grouped together.
These singles of yarn are twisted together (plied) in the opposite direction to make a thicker yarn.
Depending on the direction of this final twist, the yarn will be known as s-twist or z-twist. S-
Twist: Spirals run upwardto the left (clock wise) Z-Twist: Spirals run upwardto the right (anti
clock wise) Combination of S and Z twist: to produce crepe fabrics.
The purpose of twist is to hold the staple fibers together.
The twist could be used in different ways toembed different qualities to the yarn.
A yarn that is twist balanced will not tend to curl.
The direction of twist is also important for further designing as this can be used well by
designers.




Yarn twists parameters:
Amount of twist is designated as TPI turns per inch, which Affects appearance and durability of
the yarns.


Twist factor
The angle of twist is the factor that determines how the yarn will behave. Yarns with a low twist
level have a lower angle of twist, and will be relatively soft, bulky yarns. Yarns with higher twist
angles will be strong, lean and hard yarns. Over twisted yarns will have very high twist angles;
they will be very hard, weaker and snarl easily.


Typical twist factors:
Short staple end use Tex twist factor
Doubling weft 2900-3200
Ring weft 3200-3500
Ring warp 3800-4300
Voile 4900-5300
Crepe 5700-7700
Rotor 3700-4700


Twist Factor

Tan = d
l
l= 1/turns per unit length
d= /yarn tex
Therefore, tan = turns per unit length X /yarn tex
Turns per unit length = K/ /tex
Twist factor = turns per inch / /cotton count


Fancy yarns

Fancy yarns are explorations of the prior said attributes such as
Twist
Bulkiness
Color
Material
Blends and Mixes
Material(conventional/non-conventional)



Varieties

Boucle
Loop
Gimp
Nep
Chenille
Corkscrew
Core spun

Types and characteristics of yarns

1. Single yarns
2. Ply or folded yarns
3. Doubled yarns or compound yarns
4. Cabled yarns or cords
5. Textured yarns: Stretch yarns, Bulk yarns
6. Novelty yarns:
Slub yarns
Flake yarns
Spiral yarns
Ratine yarns
Boucle, Loop or Curl yarns
Nub, Knop, Knot or Spot yarns
Chinelle yarns



Physical properties and performance characteristics of
different yarn types:

Yarn type General yarn properties

Continuous filament yarns Excellent uniformity
Excellent strength
Natural Can be very fine
Non-synthetic Fair handle
Synthetic Poor covering power


High bulk yarns
Light weight
Staple Good covering power
Continuous filament Good loftiness and fulln

Stretch yarns
High stetchability
Continuous filament Good handle
Covering power
Special end use:

Tyre cord Purely functional
Rubber Designed to satisfy a specific-
Core yarn set of conditions
Cabled
Split film yarn


Novelty yarns:
Excellent decorative features
Fancy yarns
Metallic

Colour

Yarn comes in many colors. Yarn may be used undyed, or may be coloured with natural or
artificial dyes. Most yarns have a single uniform hue, but there is also a wide selection of
variegated yarns:
Heathered or tweed: yarn with flecks of different coloured fiber
Ombre: variegated yarn with light and dark shades of a single hue
Multicolored: variegated yarn with two or more distinct hues (a "parrot colourway" might
have green, yellow and red)
Self-striping: yarn dyed with lengths of color that will automatically create stripes in a
knitted or crocheted object
Marled: yarn made from strands of different-colored yarn twisted together, sometimes in
closely related hues


Measurement

A comparison of yarn weights (thicknesses): the top skein is aran weight, suitable for knitting a
thick sweater or hat. The manufacturer's recommended knitting gauge appears on the label: 8 to
10 stitches per inch using size 4.5 to 5.1 mm needles. The bottom skein is sock weight,
specifically for knitting socks. Recommended gauge: 5 to 7 stitches per inch, using size 3.6 to
4.2 mm needles. These yarns are manufactured in Japan and have variegated colours in a
random-dyed pattern.

Spool of all-purpose sewing thread, close-up shows texture of 2-ply, Z-twist, mercerized cotton
with polyester core.


Yarn quantities are usually measured by weight in ounces or grams. In the United States, Canada
and Europe, balls of yarn for handcrafts are sold by weight.
Common sizes include 25 g, 50 g, and 100 g skeins. Some companies also primarily measure in
ounces with common sizes being three-ounce, four-ounce, six-ounce, and eight-ounce skeins.
These measurements are taken at a standard temperature and humidity, because yarn can absorb
moisture from the air. The actual length of the yarn contained in a ball or skein can vary due to
the inherent heaviness of the fibre and the thickness of the strand; for instance, a 50 g skein of
lace weight mohair may contain several hundred meters, while a 50 g skein of bulky wool may
contain only 60 meters.
There are several thicknesses of yarn, also referred to as weight. This is not to be confused with
the measurement and/or weight listed above. The Craft Yarn Council of America is making an
effort to promote a standardized industry system for measuring this, numbering the weights from
1 (finest) to 6 (heaviest). Some of the names for the various weights of yarn from finest to
thickest are called lace, fingering, sport, double-knit (or DK), worsted, aran (or heavy worsted),
bulky, and super-bulky
A more precise measurement of yarn weight, often used by weavers, is wraps per inch (WPI).
The yarn is wrapped snugly around a ruler and the number of wraps that fit in an inch are
counted.
Labels on yarn for handicrafts often include information on gauge, known in the UK as tension,
which is a measurement of how many stitches and rows are produced per inch or per cm on a
specified size of knitting needle or crochet hook. The proposed standardization uses a four-by-
four inch/ten-by-ten cm knitted or crocheted square, with the resultant number of stitches across
and rows high made by the suggested tools on the label to determine the gauge.
Yarn Count
Textile yarns are measured in various units, such as: the denier and Tex (linear mass density of
fibres), super S (fineness of wool fiber), worsted count, woolen count, cotton count (or Number
English Ne), Number metric (Nm) and yield (the inverse of denier and tex). Yarn is spun thread
used for knitting, weaving, or sewing. Thread is a long, thin strand of cotton, nylon, or other
fibers used in sewing or weaving. Both yarn and thread are measured in terms of cotton count
and yarn density.
Cotton count
Cotton count is another measure of linear density. It is the number of hanks (840 yd. or 770 m)
of skein material that weigh 1 pound (0.45 kg). Under this system, the higher the number, the
finer the yarn. In the United States cotton counts between 1 and 20 are referred to as coarse
counts. A regular single-knit T-shirt can be between 20 and 40 count; fine bed sheets are usually
in the range of 40 to 80 count. The number is now widely used in the staple fiber industry.
Yarn length
L/m = 1693 l
m
/Nec m/kg, where l/m is the yarn length in meters, l
m
/Nec is the English cotton
count and m/kg is the yarn weight in kilograms.
English cotton count (Nec) is an indirect counting system, that is, the higher the number the finer
the yarn.
Thread: a length of 54 inches (1.4 m) (the circumference of a warp beam)
Bundle: usually 10 pounds (4.5 kg)
Lea: a length of 80 threads or 120 yards (110 m)
Denier: this is an alternative method. It is defined as a number that is equivalent to the weight in
grams of 9000 m of a single yarn. 15 denier is finer than 30 denier.
Tex: is the weight in grams of 1 km of yarn.
To convert denier to cotton count: l
m
/Nec = 5315/den, where l
m
/Nec is the cotton count
and /den is the density in denier.
To convert tex to cotton count: l
m
/Nec = 590.5/tex, where l
m
/Nec is the cotton count and /tex is
the density in tex.
1 Tex = 19 den
Thread
Thread is a cotton yarn measure, equal to 54 inches (1.4 m).







Yarn density conversion
Approximate yarn measurement comparison
Denier m/g Tex Worsted Cotton Woolen (run) Linen (lea)
50 180 5.6 160 106 56 298
75 120 8.3 106 72 37 198
100 90 11.1 80 53 28 149
150 60 16.6 53 35 19 99
200 45 22.2 40 27 14 74
300 30 33.4 27 18 9.3 50
400 22.5 44.4 20 13 7.0 37
500 18 55.5 16 11 5.6 30
700 12.9 77.7 11.4 7.6 4.0 2
1000 9 111 8.0 5.3 2.8 15
1500 6 166 5.3 3.5 1.9 10
2000 4.5 222 4.0 2.7 1.4 7