Yarns and Fabrics
This domain tests how yarns are made, how fabrics are constructed, and how weave or knit affects performance.
From fibre to yarn
Carding opens and cleans fibres; combing removes short fibres for finer yarns; drawing, roving and ring spinning follow. Twist holds staple fibres together, and more twist gives a stronger, harder yarn. Yarn count Ne is hanks of 840 yards per pound - a higher Ne means a finer yarn. Plied yarns are folded for strength; filament yarns may be texturised for bulk.
Fabric construction
- Woven: warp (lengthwise, stronger, sized) and weft (crosswise). Plain has the most interlacing and is firm; twill has a diagonal and drapes well; satin has long floats, is lustrous and snag-prone. The selvedge runs along the warp.
- Knitted: loops form wales lengthwise and courses crosswise. Single jersey curls at the edges; rib stretches.
- Nonwoven: a bonded web with no yarn structure.
Worked example
A fabric shows fine diagonal lines and a firm handle; a thread pulled from the length is straight and sized, while the crosswise thread is crimped. It is a twill weave. The straight, sized threads are warp; the diagonal is the twill direction, used to align patterns and nap.
Traps
- Swapping warp and weft.
- Thinking satin is the strongest weave; long floats snag easily.
- Confusing GSM (g/m²) with yarn count.
- Forgetting that knits stretch, so patterns need negative ease.