All About Yarn

What is a yarn ?

In simplest terms , yarn is strands of fibres , twisted together , for use in Knitting , weaving , crocheting , ropes , tufting , embroidery , sewing , etc etc

How are yarns spun ?

The yarns can be spun by hand directly or simple hand operated machines / tools ( remember the good old Charkha / Spinning wheel ) , or by Electrically powered machines , when we spin yarns by machines , there are different technologies , ( These machines are generally installed and used ) in what is know as spinning mills or spinners .

What are different systems of spinning or yarn categories ?

There are many modern day technologies which are used to spin yarns , and choice depends on many factors , one of the basic factors length of the fibre used , Long, medium , short , very short – All natural fibres which occur in nature have natural staple length ( measured in mm ) and thickness ( measured in microns ) , Spinning systems are generally chosen depending on this important factor ( While there are other factors as well . Some systems of spinning are

• Woollen System – is traditional system of spinning , ideal for many different fibres , especially Wool, Cashmere , – can use mix of short / long / medium fibres
• Long staple spinning – Also called as worsted / Semi worsted – Can spin long length fibres 65 /70 mm to 110/130 mm – Ideal for Wool/ Merino , Alpaca , Silk , Mohair etc etc
• Short Staple spinning – Cotton is a plant fibre which has short staple length 25 mm to 45 mm – Cotton is spun on this system
• Fancy Yarns : Novelty yarns , with structures like , Boucle , Loop, Slubs , Frieze , Knots etc etc use system of spinning called as Hollow , There are other Novelty yarn spinning systems like Air Jet, Crochet ( Warp Knitting ) , Needle crochet etc etc , used to make hairy yarns , chain yarns , Ladder yarns , Eyelash , caterpillar , chenille , etc etc
• Then there are many other systems of spinning like DREF , Open End , Mule spinning , Continuous filament yarns etc etc

For Craft yarns : ( Knitting and crochet ) important ones are Long Staple , Woollen , Fancy and Short Staple

 

Natural fibres versus Synthetic fibres

Natural fibres as name suggests are found in nature , main sources are Plants and Animals , examples of Plant fibres are Cotton , Hemp , Jute , Flax etc etc examples of Animal fibres are Merino ( Wool ) , Alpaca , Mohair , Cashmere , Silk , Yak , Quivit , Pashmina , Angora etc etc . Please check out our 2021 calendars for both categories of fibres 2021 Calendar Synthetic fibres are man made , can be derived from crude oil , or other polymers , these can ne tailor made to fit any system of spinning – we can control staple length , microns ( in synthetic fibres thickness is defined in terms of denier ) some of the common Synthetic fibres are , Acrylic , Polyester , Viscose , Nylon ( Polyamide ) , Poly propylene etc etc , These can be used on any basic system of spinning provided they are manufactured to the specifications to run on that system

Craft Yarns ( Knitting and Crochet yarns )

Most important systems for these are Long staple ( worsted / Semi worsted ) , Fancy , Woollen , and Short staple ( for cotton or cotton blends )