Raw Material

Yarn

Yarns are the raw materials manipulated during knitting a yarn is defined as “An assembly of substantial length and relatively small cross section of fibers or filaments with or without twist”.

Thread

“The term thread is loosely used in place of yarn and does not imply that it is as smooth, highly twisted and compact as a sewing thread”.

Textile Fibers

Textile fibers are the raw materials of the yarns into which they are spun.

Configuration of Fibers

There are two configurations of fibers.  Staple fibers and Filament fibers

Staple Fibers

These are of a comparatively short length, fir example, cotton and wool fibers, which require spinning and twisting together in order to produce a satisfactory length of yarn of suitable strength.

Filament Fibers

A filament is a fiber of indefinite length. e.g. Silk which requires combining with other filaments with same twist in order to produce a yarn of sufficient bulk. Originally all textile fibers occurred naturally, for example, animal fibers such as wool and silk and vegetable fibers such as cotton and flax. The first artificially produced fibers were the rayon’s developed by the regeneration of long chain cellulose polymers later produced Derivates such as cellulose acetate and tri acetate. Nylon the first truly synthetic fibers, was invented by Wallace II.

Sequence of Fabric Construction

In beginning the study of textiles, you should have in your hand a sample of a woven fabric. Note that it is constructed by interlacing sets of yarns that run lengthwise and crosswise. It is from the interlacing, or weaving, of yarns that such textile materials are made. A close examination of any one of these yarns will reveal the fibrous substance from which the yarn is made. Such yarns comprise a multitude of fine, hair like fibers or filaments that have been separated, made parallel, overlapped, and twisted together by various processes.

There is a logical development of raw material into finished consumers’ goods. Studying textile materials in the interesting sequence of “fiber to yarn to fabric” will help you understand the construction and ultimate qualities of the fabrics with which you will become familiar. Here are steps in the manufacture of fabrics from raw material to finished goods:

Fiber, is either spun (or twisted) into yarn or else directly compressed into fabric.

Yarn, which is woven, knitted, or otherwise made into fabric.

Fabric, which by various finishing processes becomes finished consumers’ goods